Dawn of a New World
by Lord of Beef Dip
Summary: A single point of divergence can change everything. It creates a whole new universe. Now imagine if that break in continuity wasn't simply limited to a single place, or point in time. Imagine the events that it could lead to, of how those events could ripple out and influence everything in unexpected ways.
1. In the Beginning

**Disclaimer:**

_**Dragonall and Dragonball Z and any such copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine, nothing else.**_

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_Chapter 1_

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><p>Goku stood in front of the man who claimed to be his brother, his fists clenched with anger and pent up concern for his son who was screaming his head off in some alien space craft less than a hundred yards away from them. Next to him stood Krillin, his child hood best friend, and Piccolo, the spawn of the infamous Demon King Piccolo who he had defeated in the final battle of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament 5 years ago.<p>

It was hard to believe how much had changed since that day. The two of them were even at a point where neither considered the other an enemy. Granted Piccolo still didn't care all that much for Goku at times, but he had developed a healthy respect for him. And to top it off, a couple of years before, in a truly ironic twist, he had formed a bond with his son. And that was the bulk of the reason he was willing to team up with Goku in the first place. Not that he would ever openly admit such a thing, especially to _him_ of all people. If that fool knew that he could never live it down.

Goku himself had also changed quite dramatically. He was not the same naive child, wondering the world in search of adventure. Now he was a father with responsibilities. For some it had been huge surprise that Goku married Chi Chi the day following his victory over Piccolo, but in hindsight he couldn't see why. He had made a promise to marry her when they were still children, back then he had absolutely no idea what marriage was. He had even thought it was some sort of food; yet he certainly had liked her quite a bit…perhaps even loved her. After all, she was brave, noble, daring and beautiful. She was even an excellent fighter to top it all off.

Neither was it much of a surprise that they had a son roughly a year later, and that they named him in honor of his deceased grandfather. A son, who had a tail exactly like his own. He frowned, glancing at the crater next to them once more. He had gone to visit the old hermit and his friends roughly two months after Gohan's birth to spar a little and catch up, only to have his world turned upside down with information his mentor had been hiding since, long before Goku had even met him. Information that pertained to his tail.

What he had learned on that fateful day was why he was not all that shocked to see the being before him. Standing across from him with long unkempt black hair, onyx eyes and a furry brown tail exactly like his own, wrapped neatly around his waist. This man said they were the last survivors of a dead race, a race known as saiyans.

No, what had really startled him had been the fact that he was, or at least declared himself to be his brother. And the aforementioned brother could best be described in two simple words…space pirate. He worked for some sort of intergalactic tyrant. Constantly conquering planets to add to the fiend's ever growing empire, and purging worlds to later be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

To that end he asserted that he needed Goku's help, the ultimate goal was to overthrow the said tyrant…but for the time being they would have to pretend they were still loyal to him, and continue to conquer and purge planets. Goku had wanted no part in such things, but Raditz sought to "persuade" him otherwise, so he had taken his own son to use as leverage. Just thinking about it made Goku's blood boil.

Looking back though, he was glad for one thing Roshi had told him. Even if it had been hard for him to accept. Hell, he still could remember that day and every moment after it perfectly…

* * *

><p><em>Kame House. 4 years before present.<em>

It's a peaceful and mostly sunny day, with only a few clouds floating in the sky as a gentle breeze drifted through the palm trees. The ocean waves rolled softly over the golden sand, and a person could almost be lulled into sleep by the soothing sights and sounds. The illusion of calm did not last too long however, as the sounds from two of the world's greatest warriors sparring high over the small sleepy island, quickly broke that feeling.

If a person were observing them, not knowing the story behind the two, they might assume that they were bitter enemies and not the best of friends.

Back and forth they darted across the sky, going at it blow for blow. Many times they would even seem to disappear from normal human sight, only then to reappear hundreds of feet away on the other side of the island. And if one were paying attention, it would quickly become clear to them that the taller one, with the spiky black hair, was the one who had the upper hand.

Recovering from a swift jab to the face, Krillin wiped off the blood and started to gather the energy for a massive attack.

"Ka…me…ha…me…ha!" he yelled, his voice ringing high into the air.

Just barely avoiding the blast, Goku looked down to his best friend in astonishment_ Wow, Krillin really has kept up with his training…"_ Startled when his Gi suddenly burst into flame, all from the heat of the blast, he looked away from Krillin for a moment to put out the fire.

At that moment he considered himself quite fortunate, that blast would have done a hefty amount of damage had it connected._ He's definitely quite a bit stronger than I was a year ago_. "Nice one Krillin. That would have done some real damage if it hit me." Exclaimed Goku with his Gi still smoking.

Not wanting all of his energy to go to waste, Krillin abruptly shoved his arms downward, causing the blast to arc down into the sea where it promptly detonated, drenching the two in sheets of salty water.

Taking advantage of his friend's brief distraction, he rushed forwards and aimed a punch right at Goku's face. But unfortunately for him, he did not expect for Goku raise his arm and catch it with relative ease. Using Krillin's shock against him, Goku proceeded to fling him down towards the ocean's surface. The short monk barely stopped himself mere inches above the surface of the sea, just in time to look up in time to see and dodge a kick aimed at his face. With Goku's forward momentum working against him, Krillin delivered a powerful uppercut that sent him soaring skyward. He then promptly sped ahead to intercept him and clasped both of his hands together, before smacking him down into the ocean, where his bright orange gi quickly disappeared beneath the crashing waves.

"Come on Goku…you're not fooling me…I know you won't go down this easy"

As time passed, even the ripples from his impact had begun to fade away, and Krillin muttered to himself, "Damn…maybe I overdid it just a bit…"

But no sooner had he finished saying the word, a massive stream of bubbles surged to the surface, followed shortly by Goku bursting through the surface of the water gasping violently for air. Still spitting out salt water, Goku didn't notice Krillin, who was hardly able keep a straight face from seeing his friend's predicament.

Suddenly that smile vanished, however, as Krillin grew serious and rushed towards him with the intent of catching him by surprise once again.

At the last possible second Goku looked up and spotted him, but not quick enough to avoid a painful kick to the ribs that sent him hurtling through the air straight toward Kame House. But just as he was about to slam into the side of the pink hut he managed to gain back some control. Firing a small blast towards the ground, he launched back up into the air again, where he could further collect himself.

"No fair Krillin, that was a cheap shot!" he may have sounded angry, but the slight smile that crept over his face betrayed the truth, if anything he was more excited than ever.

"Never drop your guard Goku. You of people should know that one by now." To an outsider, his tone would have seemed serious and menacing, but between them it was obvious that it was only a spar among friends.

Smirking, Goku suddenly disappeared from sight, only to reappear right next to Krillin. Temporarily stunned, Krillin's concentration wavered for a millisecond, but unfortunately it was more than enough of an opening for Goku to retake the advantage, kneeing him in the stomach and following up on it with a backhanded slap to the face that sent Krillin skipping over the waves like a human pebble.

_Never drop your guard…talk about the pot calling the kettle black… _Goku thought to himself with a brief chuckle.

Barely able to stop himself from going under the waves, he darted back into the sky, stopping several hundred feet above the ocean. After spending a few seconds to regain his bearings, he glanced down to find that Goku had disappeared on him once more.

Sensing his ki abruptly behind him, he spun around promptly, barely able to raise his arm in time to block a kick that was aimed at his back. _Crap, man he hits hard, it took a lot just to block that one kick_. He then found himself on the defensive, blocking a barrage of punches and kicks.

"Dang Goku. How about giving a guy a chance to regain his composure?"

"Never drop your guard, right Krillin…didn't you just tell me that?" he teased him with a small smile on his lips.

Sweat beading down his face and running down his neck, Krillin quickly fell back into his stance and charged Goku. The two then engaged in an all-out high speed melee above Roshi's home once more. For several minutes the two went blow for blow, each dealing just as much damage as they received, with neither one willing to give an inch.

Driving an elbow into Goku's gut, Krillin leaped back as Goku swiftly rebounded and lunged towards him again. Leaning back, he was just a second too slow and caught a boot to the face that knocked him several meters away. Before he could even get a chance to fully recover, Krillin saw a ki blast heading right for him. Panicking, he fired one of his own to cancel it out, but still had to shield himself from the resulting explosion. Uncrossing his arms, he glanced at Goku who was hardly ten feet away from him.

"C'mon Goku, is that the best you got?" Krillin taunted somewhat nervously.

Goku easily picked up on his friend's apprehension and smirked at the comment. "I'm just getting started…you're not going all out yet are you?"

_He can't be serious, can he? I'm really putting a lot into this and he is only getting started!_ Krillin swallowed uneasily, wondering if it was a good idea to goad him like that when he most likely was not going to be able to back it up. He hoped that he hadn't gotten in over his head with this one. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Uh…of course not Goku, I still got quite a bit left in me," he replied quickly.

Again; the two friends charged each other only to be interrupted before either attack could connect, by Launch who stepped out the door and yelled up to them that dinner was ready. Distracted by her ringing voice in the air they smashed right into each other and plummeted hundreds of feet down into the sand. Both comically ending up with their heads stuck in the ground and their legs kicking above. Upon seeing them like this, she laughed quietly to herself as she walked inside, shaking her head.

After uprooting himself and spitting out a mouthful of sand, Krillin breathed a quick sigh of relief. _That sure was a close one_. He thought to himself, somewhat grateful for the abrupt yet sandy ending to their spar.

"Shame we had to get interrupted like that so suddenly huh Goku…"

He turned, and where Goku had been standing there was a fading trail of smoke. A trail that lead inside the pink house, and most likely straight inside to the kitchen.

"How predictable" he mumbled to himself as a bead of sweat dripped down from his brow. "He always does this at the first mention of food."

Shaking his head, he calmly started walking towards the house, the soft sand of the beach crunching beneath his feet.

By the time he got to the kitchen he was greeted by a very predictable sight. Goku, stuffing his face with a massive plate of food in front of him. Even after knowing him for so many years, it was still amazing how much food he could put away, and at such an astonishing speed too.

"Wow, this sure is good. Almost like what Chi Chi makes!" he said while devouring a whole chicken in the blink of an eye. Of course with his mouth full it came out completely garbled.

_Some things never do change._ Thought Master Roshi with a smile on his face.

His look then became far more serious. _I probably should tell him though, he's not the naïve boy he once was..…though how he will react to it worries me…I do hope he understands why I waited this long to let him know…,_

"Guess Chi Chi never did managed to teach you any table manners yet" Krillin said with a smirk plastered on his face.

And in typical Son Goku fashion he started rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "No, guess not hehehe"

"But anyway Goku…Do you really do have a kid now? It's just so odd picturing that." Krillin shook his head in faint disbelief.

"Yep, a son. He was born…I think a couple of months ago." he replied happily after swallowing a massive chunk of food.

At this everyone rolled their eyes. It just like Goku to make such an absent minded comment.

"Anyway…that is really awesome, I'm happy for you. And what would his name be?"

Goku then started rubbing the back of his head again. "Thanks Krillin. And we decided to name him after my grandfather Gohan. It just seemed like such a fitting name to us."

"That's pretty great of you to honor your grandfather like that." Krillin said. To which Master Roshi silently nodded his head in agreement.

"Now this is the real question Goku. I know he is just a baby now, but do you have any plans on training him soon?

"Umm heh heh, about that now…" he said sheepishly .

"Chi Chi really didn't like the idea. She was all about him growing up to be a scholar, not as a fighter or something like that. But I told her that he should at least learn how to defend himself when he gets older. Just in case no one else is around to protect him and something happens"

Krillin knew how much of a fiery temper the woman had, so it was hard to keep from finding some amusement at his friend's predicament.

"I bet that one went over great" Krillin managed to say while barely holding back a chuckle.

"Sort of, she said she would think about it. But that is a long time from now since Gohan is so little. After that she said we were done talking about it till he was older"

Having considered everything Goku had just said, he could not help smiling a bit. Neither would likely want to budge regarding that issue. Goku didn't have much in him for verbal disputes, but when he set his mind on something he usually made it happen. It always seemed to work out that way with him, ever since he was a kid.

"Hmm, but that's a long ways off. He is still is a baby now. She'll probably come around to the idea eventually" Krillin reassured him.

"Probably…but she sure can be stubborn about stuff like this"

He thought of how much of an understatement that really was. "Boy, tell me about it"

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><p>For the next several hours it was pretty much a blast, with everyone eating, drinking (With the exception of Goku), and joking about past events. Overall , everyone had a great time. Launch sneezing also helped make things more entertaining, because right afterwards Roshi had made one of his characteristic lecherous comments. That proved to be a painful mistake when she had punched him clear through the kitchen window and out onto the beach, eventually he made it back in, covered in sand and sunglasses barely hanging on his face. Soon after that, though things started to calm down as the evening progressed, until Goku finally glanced outside and saw that the sun was starting to go down.<p>

"Hmm….this has been a ton of fun catching up with you guys. We really should get together again like this more often. Next time maybe we should invite Tien and the others too. It could be just like old times"

Then he happily proclaimed, "Like, we should get together like this a least a couple times a year. "

"Sounds like a great idea Goku!" Krillin nodded in agreement, it sure would be nice to see more of his old friend.

"Yea, it really has been a while; I would love to spar with them too. If they have improved as much as you did then I'd really have my hands full." He beamed at his friend, the thought alone of a potentially good fight enthralling him.

His smile dimmed slightly as he continued, "But I should really be getting back, it's getting pretty late. Chi Chi is probably going to be putting Gohan to bed soon. She'll probably kill me anyway for being this late."

He started to get up to leave, but was abruptly stopped by Roshi.

"Say, before you leave Goku, you think maybe we could have a quick talk" _It was now or never._

"Uh…Sure, what for Master Roshi?" Goku questioned, knowing just by Roshi's tone that whatever he had to say was something big.

As he began to walk towards the door his old master smiled sadly.

"Something very important Goku. Something you should have been told a long time ago."

Confused as to what it could be, he followed Roshi's lead as they walked towards the edge of the island with the setting sun at their backs. As soon as they reached the edge of the water Roshi abruptly stopped. To Goku's surprise he even took off his sunglasses, something he almost never did in the past. It was just something the master never did.

"Goku. This isn't easy to say. But this is something you really should know. As it concerns you directly," he began, face taunt with worry over how Goku would take finally knowing the truth of where he came from .

"What is it Master Roshi? Is it something bad?" Goku questioned, an uneasy feeling already starting to come over him.

Rubbing the sweat from the back of his head, Roshi asked, "Well, you do know about how you were found in the woods as a baby by Gohan ?"

"Well yea, now that you mention it that sounds about right" Goku replied back.

"Well there is more to it than just that. A few years before he died he told me the full story about that da-" he started again only for his voice to crack. After he regained control of himself Roshi then continued.

"He told me that he was out in the woods meditating when suddenly he saw what appeared to be a falling star"

Goku by this point was starting to wonder what this had to do with him. As the gears in his mind started to turn, it started to become very clear what Roshi was getting at. But in respect for his former teacher he remained silent while the old hermit explained.

"That in itself would have been strange, as it was daylight out at the time. And as he watched it falling he realized it was coming down right near him. Sure enough it ended up crashing quite close to where he had been sitting" He sighed, "As soon as he got close enough to see the crater where it hit, he saw a strange looking metal pod lying within it. Like some sort of space ship or something," Roshi paused, waiting for some sort of reaction, he had been keeping a close eye on the boy thus far and so far he had been handling the news rather well.

When Goku said nothing, Roshi took it as a good sign and continued, "Naturally he started wondering what could possibly be inside that thing. And while he certainly was still was bit afraid of what it might be his inquisitiveness ended up winning out in the end." He chuckled a little, "But even he was still taken aback by what he ended up finding. Instead of some sort of hideous monster, he found a small infant, screaming its head off. After picking the child up he noticed only one thing that seemed a bit peculiar."

At this point Goku instinctively wrapped his tail around his waist, then knowing what Master Roshi was going to say.

"A tail. And by now Goku, I'm sure you know who this child was, don't you?" Roshi asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.

Indeed, by then Goku had easily connected the dots. "It…It was me…wasn't it…" he said with an uneasy tone in his voice.

A quiet "Yes" was all that Roshi managed to utter in response.

Goku then walked to the edge of the water. As he glanced down at the waves of water flowing over his boots, he began trying to sort out all the thoughts and emotions racing through his mind. It was just so hard process. He was from some other world…he was what Bulma had called an alien, something he remembered her mentioning back when she had tried to educate him.

Yet, in a way it actually kind of made sense. He never was ordinary to begin with after all. He always seemed to be stronger than all his friends no matter how hard they all trained. Plus he had a passion for fighting that went far beyond any human norm. And he could live and even fight with injuries that would have killed any regular human. But just because it made sense and offered something close to a logical explanation; didn't mean it was something he would be able to accept instantly.

"Hmm. Still this is really strange. I mean do we know for sure that whatever thing I was in really came from some other planet?" Goku questioned somewhat apprehensively.

"I had wondered that too myself Goku. But that was confirmed to me last year shortly after you defeated Piccolo," the old hermit answered smoothly, having known he would probably ask something along those lines. "And the one who told me this was Kami himself. After everything with Piccolo had been sorted out he actually took me aside and confirmed what I had long thought, but never fully believed."

At this Goku's eyes went wide from the shock.

"He said that the ship had indeed come from some other planet. However it's precise origin even he could not determine. But just as he had no way of knowing where the ship came from, he also had no means of knowing the intentions of those who sent you in the first place. And because of that he was truly concerned for a while about it. He wasn't sure if whoever sent you had any sort of evil intent, or if you might even become a major threat akin to King Piccolo once you grew older."

Roshi coughed a little into his hand before stroking his white beard.

"Not that he was wrong in worrying; you were after all quite violent during the first couple of years after Gohan found you. In fact he was on the verge of even stepping in himself and seeing to it nothing horrible came to pass. Given your aggressive behavior as a child, he had no way to be certain what would happen as you got older. However…that day you fell into the ravine and hit your head- nearly dying in the process- prompted him to reconsider. After that your personality changed completely and you become a regular happy loving child. He still kept a watchful eye over you, but he was no longer concerned about you being any sort of threat, in fact he began to see great promise in you."

Goku then turned to face Roshi again. Inside he was wondering why Kami never told him sooner. In a way he had actually been a bit angry at first, as he had many chances to let him know all this. Yet he never did. However, taking a few seconds to really think it over, he realized that Kami probably had a good reason not to tell him.

Back then he probably would have been far too naïve to understand the whole thing properly anyway, he most likely would have completely freaked out. Still he couldn't help being a bit annoyed by it. All the same he decided to hear Roshi out. Whatever reasons they had he would respect them.

Having noticed the change in Goku's demeanor the old hermit continued to explain. "But you must know this; he didn't want to tell you then because he was afraid of how you would react. He wanted to wait till you had grown up a bit before letting you know everything. He wanted to make sure you were at a point you could understand the entire scope of the issue, while still maintaining a clear head about it.

"I suppose so" Goku said, voice shaking. "But still, I wish I had known this sooner." He clenched his fist, trying to keep his emotions in check. "This is really going to take some time to get used too. I mean I've suspected something was different about me, but this….damn" He rubbed the back of his head, unable to think of the right words to describe exactly how he felt.

He then thought about his friends; and what they might think of this, hoping Roshi hadn't told them yet .

"But, no one else knows this do they?" He didn't truly believe his master would mention anything like that to anyone, not before telling him first, but he had wanted to be sure.

"No, they don't know any of this. It is not my right nor is it my place to tell them any of this. If you want them to know then it's up to you to tell them, not me." he sighed as he placed a hand on Goku's back, trying to give him what little comfort he could.

"Hmm. Now I just got to figure out a way to explain this to Chi Chi, I hope she doesn't freak out and…."

It's was then he realized that the sun had gone down completely with the stars dotting the sky and reflected off the ocean. He shivered a bit as he felt a cool ocean breeze suddenly start up.

"Crap, I'm really glad you told me all this. It's one hell of a shocker to be sure," he said in a frantic rush, "But I really got to go now. Chi Chi is going to be so mad!" Already he could feel himself starting to have a panic attack. _Oh man..._

Cupping his hands over his mouth, he called for Nimbus and offered a final goodbye to Roshi before promptly jumping onto the yellow cloud that had just appeared and sped off into the night

Roshi watched Goku speed away with a smile on his face. It seemed he had a way of bouncing back from virtually anything, no matter what it ended up being.

* * *

><p>The day that he found out he actually was an alien really turned his entire world upside down, but the more that he had thought about it, the easier he had himself accepting it. At the time he really wasn't sure when he should tell his friends. But Chi Chi, being his wife was entitled to know such a thing about her husband. And her reaction was much better than he hoped for. Even though she nearly fainted when he told her, she took the fact quite well. After all it didn't change the person he was. He was the same guy she had fallen in love with all those years ago, and even had a kid with, it really didn't matter too much at this point.<p>

What actually happened with Piccolo afterword, and the changes that occurred in the green man proved to be very surprising.

He was the "son" of the "Demon King Piccolo", a sadistic monster who had taken the utmost pleasure in having the entire world tremble at his very feet. Long ago he had been born of the negative energy cast aside by Kami, the current guardian of earth. He had ravaged the earth for a time; until he was sealed away by Mutaito, Master Roshi's mentor, at the cost of his own life.

However, several years ago, the Demon King had been freed by Emperor Pilaf. Again he had gone on a rampage, injuring and murdering countless people, even destroying entire cities. Fortunately, his reign of destruction had been cut short when he met his end at the hand of Son Goku. But with his last remaining bit of energy, he passed his very essence into one final offspring. One with all the memories and all of the hatred of the demon who birthed him. This reincarnation came to call himself Piccolo Jr.

He, at the time shared many of his sire's dark ambitions. But his first priority was revenge on the man that destroyed his father. So he entered the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, with the intention of slaying the man responsible. After that not even he was certain where he would go from there. And on a few occasions he found himself wondering whether or not he really wanted to take that path. Was he simply following the motions his father laid before him? Was his life really already planned? Did he not have a choice? But each and every time he got these doubts, he pushed it all away, dismissing them as signs of weakness. He WOULD enter the tournament and kill Goku, and then he would fulfill his father's dream. He would bring hell itself to this world.

But things didn't go according to plan for him. Despite pulling every single dirty trick he could think of, he still couldn't manage to defeat Goku. Against all odds, even with a hole punched clean through his chest and having his left lung punctured, Goku managed to pull off a victory. Yet, despite everything Piccolo had done, his father's killer couldn't bring himself to end his life. Somehow, there was something different about him. Something that distinguished him from his father…

* * *

><p><em> 23rd WMAT- 5 years before present.<em>

It had been a long grueling fight. The two had fought to a near standstill for what seemed like an eternity. But gradually it started to become obvious that the longer the battle went on that Piccolo was starting to wear down, and Goku was still going strong. Still Piccolo had pushed on, memories of his father's defeat flooding his mind. He was determined to avoid the same fate at any cost. It had come to a point however that he realized that no matter what he did, he was going to lose. So he thought up an underhanded plan in which he could escape defeat, and finally kill his most hated enemy. He would fake surrender, then the moment the simpleton turned his back, he would strike.

With that thought a thin smile had formed on his face, and he made the move to put his plan into action.

Midway during the fight, he leapt back suddenly and threw his arms up, declaring that he was done. That Goku had won the fight. Further he said that he was going to give up on his father's dream, and would commit to living a life of peace and isolation. Inwardly he thought to himself how ridiculous that sounded, especially coming from him, but he still had hope that Goku would be gullible enough to buy it. Knowing how merciful and naïve Goku tended to be, Piccolo could find little fault with his plan.

Goku, while very skeptical, had decided to take him for his word. The second he dropped his guard and turned around turned out to be a very grave mistake.

With that an insane smirk crept onto Piccolo's face, he couldn't even believe his good fortune; it wasn't that he didn't expect him to fall for his trick, but even Piccolo had to marvel at just how foolish it was for Son to turn his back on such an opponent so easily. After all he was the very reincarnation of the Demon King himself. And not willing to let such an opportunity escape him, he had lunged forwards towards Goku.

At the last second Goku realized that he had been duped, but it was too late. No sooner that he managed to turn his head around did he find Piccolo right upon him, a hand glowing with ki already pressed against his chest. And Piccolo's smirk broadening into a sinful smile, he fired a beam clean through Goku.

As he watched Goku flying backwards towards the ground, with the wound bleeding profusely, he couldn't help but fall into a fit of insane laughter. All the while Goku's friends were far to shocked to even make a move to help him. Smirking, he turned to face them, with the intent of making them all share the same fate. But hardly a second had passed before heard something moving behind him. Instantly he whirled around with his fangs bared, only to stare utterly stunned. Somehow, despite having a gaping hole in his chest, Goku had managed to get back on his feet, with a look of anger and determination on his face.

"How!" Piccolo roared, "How can this be, you should be on the ground bleeding to death!"

"What…you honestly believe..that..that I would give up and die, just like that. You really don't know anything…do you?" Goku replied angrily. But it strained him to even speak, just talking was more than enough to make him cough up a mouthful of blood; and after spitting the remainder out, he glared across the platform at Piccolo.

Grunting, he found himself smirking again; he couldn't help but admire the man's resolve. He still thought it futile, with an injury like that Son Goku was as good as dead. "Hmm your perseverance is quite…impressive…almost commendable even," he said as he sneered across to Goku.

"However, it makes no difference in the end…today Son Goku, YOU DIE!"

And with that Piccolo rushed at Goku with the intent of finishing him off for good.

Goku managed to block the first blow with some effort, and this actually caught Piccolo off guard. What more, the bleeding man even managed to land to land a kick to his ribs. However, after that Piccolo quickly forced him to go on the defensive. At first Goku was able to hold his own quite well, but his strength was dwindling due to extensive blood loss. After he barely managed to dodge a kick to the side, he threw a ki blast at the demon, only to have it effortlessly smacked away.

Taking that as his opening, Piccolo darted towards Goku and slammed his elbow straight into the gaping wound in Goku's chest. With his blood spurting out, Goku screamed in agony just before Piccolo's boot connected with his face, silencing his pained filled scream.

After that Goku found himself to be little more than a glorified punching bag, barely able to even mount any sort of defensive. For every blow he did manage to land he was paid back for it tenfold.

Finally after several minutes spent dragging the fight out for the sake of torturing and humiliating him; Piccolo began to grow bored with how easy it had become. After mercilessly, and repeatedly kicking Goku in the stomach, each blow causing him to cough up more and more blood, he raised his arm and brought an elbow down onto Goku's skull, knocking him down to the ground face first.

"Hmph, how pathetic. I expected more, even from you, Son Goku. So what happened to all that determination you were showing only a few minutes ago?" he taunted, his voice laced with nothing but contempt. The fool was too merciful for his own damn good, and this was where it had gotten him."Too bad you were so damn soft. You might have even had a chance at beating me were it not for that."

_More than just a chance._ He thought to himself. Swiftly, he banished the thought from his mind. It was only another weakness trying to assert itself again.

"But I think it's time we end this little game. And don't worry about your pathetic little friends. They will be joining you in death soon enough," Piccolo proclaimed rather gleefully. And laughing like a madman he leapt up into the sky, already beginning to gather the energy needed to completely eradicate his opponent.

"Goku…no…" Chi Chi whispered, hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes before she suddenly screamed at those around her, "We have to do SOMETHING!"

"Go ahead and try you pathetic little humans," Piccolo declared with his fangs bared and a wicked grin plastered on his face, "I'll rid myself of all you pests in one attack." Indeed, if they were that stupid, let them all die with their would be savior. It would save him a lot of trouble hunting them down later, it would be much easier if they were all caught in the blast instead.

As he was lying face down in his own blood, Goku managed to muster the strength needed to roll over and rise up a bit. Just enough to see Piccolo and to get a good feel of just how much energy he had been gathering.

He glanced off to his left he saw his friends already in fighting stances, about ready to jump in to help him.

"Everyone, get away now!" he yelled while hacking up a decent amount of blood. "I know I can still beat him, but you need to get as far from this spot as you can!"

At this they all gave him looks of utter confusion.

"Goku, you can barely even move..." Krillin replied back, thinking perhaps his friend had lost his marbles when Piccolo slammed his head into the ground. "How do you plan on stopping him yourself!"

"H-He's right, Goku. I don't see w-what you can do." Roshi stammered as panic began to consume him. He was just an old man, what could he do against that evil menace?

Yamcha just stood there in shocked disbelief at Goku's confidence, while Tien was considering using his Kikoho to stop Piccolo. "There's no way you can stop him!" the three-eyed man said, "It might kill me, but I might be able to stop him with the kik-"

Goku interrupted, "No, I won't let you just throw away your life. Get out of here while you still can!" Seeing that they were still hesitating, Goku suddenly roared angrily, " Everyone just get the hell away NOW!"

The tone Goku took actually startled them, it was just not typical for him to lose his temper in such a way. The situation he was in was anything but typical however, so it was quite understandable; so with that they put their trust in Goku's judgment and immediately took off.

_Let them run_, Piccolo thought, snorting in disgust before calling after them, "Hahahaha. Run as far as you can insects. Once I deal with him I'll hunt each and every one of you down." With that said, his entire body started to glow and crackle with energy as he looked down at his enemy. "Now Goku, this marks the beginning of a new era. An era marked by pain, death and destruction. It's just too bad you won't be able to live to see it. Not that you deserve to anyway." His voice was filled with venom as he yelled down at him, "Now then, time for you TO DIE!"

No sooner than the last word left his mouth, a massive crimson colored beam erupted from his hands, heading straight towards Goku.

_Well it's now or never…I just hope this works. _Goku watched the deadly beam of light rapidly approach him, body tensing.

With just seconds remaining he managed to force his body into a standing position, and not even a second before impact, he used the remnants of his ki to erect a barrier around his entire body and leapt into the air just inches above the blast.

The explosion that the blast generated nearly destroyed the entire island, and could easily be seen from over fifty miles away.

Panting, Piccolo was still hovering just a few dozen feet off the ground. Craning his head around, he began to admire his handy work. Almost completely drained of energy, he was still ecstatic, he couldn't see Goku anywhere nor could he feel his ki signal.

At that moment he threw his head back, and begun to laugh as if he had completely lost whatever grip he previously had on his sanity.

"Hahahaha I did it! I can't believe it. He's really dead. This is magnificent, now the world will bow before me. Now all that's left are those vermin that he called friends. And they are nothing compared to him, it will be like shooting fish in a barrel! Hahahaha..." his voice and laughter rang out through the sky around him.

Meanwhile a good hundred yards away the Z warriors and Chi Chi were busy digging themselves out of the ruins of the island. They were quite fortunate that they heeded Goku's warning and fled when they had the chance. By the time the blast hit they had managed to blast a decent sized hole in the ground and hid away in that. And because of that they had managed to escape with only minor cuts, burns and bruises.

However it wasn't long before Piccolo had picked up on them with his exceptionally keen hearing and turned to face them.

"Ha, looks like you insects managed to survive that. Not that it will do you any good. Your hero is dead, and if any of you make one wrong move, I might just decide to kill all of you." He remarked casually. "Hell, I might just kill you all anyway. So who's going to play the hero now…or maybe…maybe, all you're all just a bunch of pathetic little cowards?" He said while frowning.

Little did they actually realize at the time, he was at least in part bluffing, he could still in all probability defeat any of them one on one. But if they all ganged up on him he would be done for, with all the energy he had lost. So he was intent on putting out one hell of a bluff. At least to buy enough time for himself to recover a bit.

Even though they were all quite fearful, they were more concerned for their friend. It would have appeared that he was caught in the blast, if so he would have most certainly been done for. Still they held hope that he may have miraculously avoided that attack.

Still, Roshi, being the most experienced fighter, remained confident that Goku had managed to pull off an miracle. And he also suspected that Piccolo might have been bluffing, there was just no way he could have that much energy left over, not after fighting Goku, and creating a massive attack like that.

Just as he was getting into a fighting stance he saw a glowing speck up in the sky. Suddenly it had dawned on him what Goku's plan had been the whole time. And when he saw that Piccolo was still clueless as to what was happening he suddenly started to chuckle quietly.

_Goku…you never cease to amaze me…_ He thought with pride. His former student really had come a long way. It was sheer brilliance what he had done.

However no one else had managed to figure out what was Roshi laughing about, when their friend might very well be dead, it hardly seemed funny.

"I really don't see how this is much of a laughing matter Master Roshi" Said Krillin accusingly.

Tien and the others were also getting agitated by the old hermits behavior. Here Goku may very well be dead and he was laughing, it just didn't make sense.

"Yeah you crazy old pervert, what gives?" She yelled at him "My Goku could be…could be…" At this she lost all control and started sobbing violently and Bulma pulled her into an embrace, unable to keep a few tears from escaping herself.

This entire special between them quickly started to grate on Piccolo's nerves. Bunch of weakling humans, why did they worry about that idiot when they could be next? Unable to remain silent any longer, he sneered at them, "Whenever you fools are done with your sentimental banter, I would really love to get this over with."

"And what that that idiot laughing about? Has he lost it completely?" Remarked Piccolo with a dark chuckle. The old man must have gone insane…it was the only explanation.

"You really are a fool, aren't you?" Said Roshi with a sly grin. By now it was obvious to him just how Goku avoided the blast, and he had a good guess on the rest of his plan was.

"What! You dare call me a f- What in the hell!" Suddenly, he felt a faint ki above and behind him. Hastily, he whirled around and looked up at the sky and there he saw Goku flying…no falling towards him at an incredible velocity. That was what the old man was laughing at. How could he have been so stupid?

"It's not possible…" He muttered in disbelief. There was no way Goku should have been alive after that attack…

"I told you Piccolo! I told you from the beginning that you would lose!" Goku cried out, just the effort required to say those words was almost enough to make him black out. Still, it was too late to give in now….

He concentrated every last drop of energy he had left; and accelerated rapidly before crashing into Piccolo's unguarded chest. The impact instantly smashed all of his ribs, and knocked several fragments into his organs, which caused him severe internal damage, in addition to sending him flying backwards onto the ground. Goku ended up crashing a good fifty feet away, the pain from the impact actually causing him to lose consciousness for a moment. He was quickly woken up by his friends as they rushed to his side.

Not wanting to waste any time, they tried to force a senzu bean down his throat. Much to their shock he actually spat the bean out into his hand, where he studied it for a moment before breaking it into two separate pieces. He then ate the larger piece, having a different plan for the other. Given he only ate part of the bean, his injuries never fully healed. At least the gaping hole in his chest healed quickly enough, but his body was still hurting like none other, and only a fraction of his ki had been restored. Yet, on a more positive note, he was no longer on deaths door, and would be just fine after a good day's rest.

After stretching out a bit, making sure everything was in working order, he began walking towards Piccolo's broken form.

"Goku what are you doing!" Tien yelled at him frantically.

Turning around Goku replied "Just watch and see, trust me with this one"

Still they were all very skeptical of what he was doing. Krillin was the next to speak out, "Have you completely lost it Goku, or did you forget that he just tried to KILL you." His anger and disbelief was present in his voice, but Goku only shook his head and resumed walking towards Piccolo's battered body.

Yamcha tensed up, and was about to actually step in and stop him, but Roshi placed a firm hand on his shoulder and shook his head, effectively silencing him. Roshi didn't exactly like the idea of what Goku was doing, but he knew that deep down, contrary to his outward demeanor, that the man was no fool, and likely had a good reason to want to save Piccolo.

As soon as Goku got to him he saw the full extent of the damage he had caused. His chest was caved in, with a few bone fragments actually pushing through on the outside. Yet, he knew that it had to be much worse on the inside, and that if he didn't act soon it would be too late. He still thought that Piccolo had brought it all upon himself; but he wasn't like his sire, Goku didn't same feel of pure evil and malice that he got from Daimao.

He wasn't good or noble, nowhere close actually , but Goku could sense that he had the potential to change. Besides, his methods were different than Daimao's. Daimao would have never followed any silly tournament rules in the first place. He would have went straight for the kill, no matter who got in his way. This guy at least had some sense of honor, even if it was distorted and corrupt, it was still said something about his character. And as Goku figured, it wouldn't hurt to have a decent opponent to keep him on his toes from time to time.

Offering the bean to him, Goku spoke, "Piccolo, listen to me. This is a senzu bean. It will heal you up real quick. If you don't eat it, with those injuries, you will die."

After coughing up a wad of blood, Piccolo pushed his hand away roughly. Why the hell was he trying to save him? It made no sense, this fool killed his father. So why spare him? He had the same vision, the same goals…So why would this simpleton allow him to live?

"I know what that damned thing is. And you're a fool to try and save me, damn you. What makes you think I won't kill you the second I recover, idiot!" he snarled, much like a wounded dog when threatened. "You and this entire wretched planet are better off if you kill me. So go on damn you, JUST FUCKING DO IT!" he screamed, before coughing up more blood.

"Because I actually see that you're not the same as the monster you claim as a father ," Goku replied easily.

"Hmph. You really are a fool," Piccolo scoffed. "I tried to kill you, and would have done the same to your friends. Gladly even, can't you tell? I'm exactly the same has him."

"No, I don't believe that one, and I'm not even sure _you_ completely do either. I know you were born from his essence or something like that, but you're not the same being, you have already proven that today." Goku then saw the look on Piccolo's face, a look suggesting complete and utter astonishment, a look he quickly masked with his typical scowl.

Goku continued, "Believe me, you might have inherited all of his evil thoughts and memories, but you still are not the same being. It's your choice what you do with your life, you don't have to be the same monster he was. And I can tell your different. He would have not fought by any of the rules of the tournament, he would have killed every one that stood in his way of getting to me, and he would have used anyone he could find as a shield if things got to bad for him." He smirked before continuing. "But you actually fought with honor, mostly that is." At that thought he frowned for a moment and rubbed his chest where the wound had been.

Piccolo pondered those words for a few moments-and somewhere deep inside him they resonated. He really was his own being. Did he really even want to do what his father set out for him? Or was he a puppet and Daimao simply the demon pulling the strings? Quickly, he forced the thoughts back; but a change had occurred within him, though he hardly realized it at the time.

"Hmmph. Spare me the lecture, Goku. I really don't feel like listening to you preach about your ridiculous ideals," after pausing for a moment to think over things, he quickly made his decision and continued, grimacing, "Just hurry up and toss me the damned bean!"

At this Goku smirked."Sure…here catch." Then he tossed it to Piccolo, who barely managed to catch it, fumbling somewhat in his hand.

Once he ate it he noticed that while wounds did heal up, for the most part, his energy was still very low, and his chest was aching horribly. At that he smirked briefly, the man wasn't as stupid as he had first suspected, he hadn't noticed it before, due to the massive amount of pain he was in, but now it was clear. He had only given him part of a bean, taking the rest for himself, thereby ensuring he would be unable to mount any real attack against him. Not that he had any real intention of doing so. He had had more than enough for one day. He would train his ass of, and one day he _would_ defeat him, but now was clearly not that time. Even he wasn't THAT arrogant to believe he had a chance at the moment.

"Hmm. Maybe you're not as stupid as I first suspected. You only gave me a piece of a bean because you didn't trust what I might do. You wanted to make sure you could easily stop me if I…isn't that right?" he said with a scowl.

"Well, you got me there, but I still had to make sure I could stop you if you decided to attack me again," Goku replied back happily, with a smirk on his face. "You already have proven that you're not the most trustworthy person."

By not attacking him, he had in actuality proven his point, Goku thought to himself. Daimao wouldn't have passed it up, even if he knew he had no chance, he would have been on him the second he ate the bean. Maybe there was hope for Piccolo to change. Not that he would mention that to him now, lest he actually provoke him with such a statement.

Hmph. How clever of you," he said while smirking. "But I've grown tired of your presence. I'm taking my leave of this wretched place. But remember this _Son Goku_, never drop your guard, you never know when I may choose to strike."

And with one final backward glance, he shot them all an evil glare before gathering what remained of his energy and blasting off. A few moments later he had completely vanished over the horizon and Goku smirked. _You can count on that one Piccolo. I'll make damned sure I'm ready._

* * *

><p>After the tournament it was some time before anyone saw or heard anything from Piccolo.<p>

And truth be told, Goku's words and actions at the tournament began to stir something inside of him. It once again brought on the feelings of doubt and uncertainty for his purpose in life. Only now he actually found himself entertaining such notions, quite frequently actually.

And while he still despised Goku, he found that his motivation, and his resolve to kill the man had greatly diminished since the tournament. Much to his disgust, he also noted that he had actually begun to respect him. It made so little sense to him. How could the fool even dare say he fought with a shred of honor? He used every dirty and despicable trick in the book. And what place did honor have with a creature like him anyway? He was the reincarnation of a fucking demon of all things, Piccolo Daimao himself none the less, and _HE_ was about as close to pure evil as any mortal being could hope to get.

The vivid memories he had of his sire's life, memories he once reveled, were becoming more and more akin to nightmares. Memories of all the countless atrocities his father had committed over the course of his lifetime.

He often felt something, which in terms of human emotions was something akin to guilt. Why? He really didn't know. After all is was his father that killed all those people, not him. So while he may have once delighted in those thoughts before, it still didn't explain why he would even give a damn in the first place.

Those _humans_, they were scum, not even fit to lick the dirt from his boots. Yet, that was his father talking again, and look at where that ideology had gotten him. Perhaps following in the footsteps of such a twisted being was not the best choice to make. All the same, he still had plans for ruling the world, albeit with a different vision than what his father had…

* * *

><p>Nearly two years had passed since the tournament, and a big gathering with Goku and all of his old friends was planned. Piccolo having managed to learn of this bit of information, decided it was time to pay Goku a little "visit".<p>

Piccolo had appeared right in front of him while he was on his way back home, still riding on Nimbus high over the ocean. Needless to say this sudden appearance greatly surprised him, to such an extent that he fell off the cloud and plummeted over a thousand feet down, crashing unceremoniously into the sea.

Slightly perturbed at the display of stupidity, he rapidly descended to where he was only a few meters above the waves. Grinning sadistically, he fired a small purple colored ki blast into the water, intent on flushing him out. Upon seeing Goku blast through the surface of the water he smiled darkly.

"Piccolo!" Goku exclaimed in bewilderment. "Just what the hell are you doing here?"

"Hmph. What you THINK this is about?" growled Piccolo, his eyes narrowing. "Obviously I'm here to settle the score between us. You may have defeated me at the tournament, but in these two years I have grown much stronger. I only hope you haven't gone soft since then, _Goku. _I would at least like a decent challenge before I dispose of you." The threat however seemed, almost teasing in nature, not like it would have sounded a couple of years ago, or from Daimao himself.

"Hmm. You won't be disappointed then, you're not the only one who has been training," Goku said with a smirk.

Truth be told, while he had not given up on his training, he had a wife and child now. So he really wasn't able to train as much as he used too. He only hoped it was enough to match Piccolo, if not he wasn't sure what the outcome would be. While he didn't THINK Piccolo would follow through and actually kill him, it was best not to take chances.

"Yes. I'm sure we will," Piccolo remarked, words laced with sarcasm. "Now do you have any place special in mind to do this…not that it will affect the outcome, but this is not really an ideal location for this."

Quickly, Goku looked around before he spotted a nice little island a few miles off. He could not sense anyone on the island and it was decently sized. I would have to do…

"See that island off in the distance?" he said while gesturing to it with his thumb. After hardly even glancing at it Piccolo grunted in confirmation. "It should do just fine, I can't sense anyone else that might be on it, so it's just as good as any place."

Nearly face vaulting at this Piccolo said, "Always the sentimental one, trying to ensure no one else ever gets hurt…how very _noble_ of you." He snorted, "But as I said, the location doesn't matter…its only proper for me to let you choose your final resting place."

With that smirk and that tone, it was hard to tell how serious he actually was.

"Well, what are you waiting for…lead the way. Unless of course, you're afraid to turn your back on me," he taunted menacingly.

At this Goku smirked and took off for the island, with Piccolo flying a few meters behind him. In all honesty, he did not expect a surprise attack from him. No way would Piccolo give up a fight like this, for such a cheap victory.

It would never be satisfying enough for him to take such a cowardly route. His father would have done it, in a heartbeat at that, but he had already shown that he was a very different from that monster. Goku's one hope was that he would eventually break with his evil past entirely. He could become a very powerful ally if he allowed himself to.

* * *

><p>The entire trip to the island took less than a minute, but his eagerness for battle made it seem so much longer. He had been looking forward to a rematch with Piccolo ever since that day at the tournament, and now that moment had arrived. The primary reason he had choose to spare Piccolo's life had been because he saw some good in him, and the potential to change, that much was true. But deep down, the prospect of having a truly great opponent made his blood boil like none other.<p>

That in of itself could likely be attributed to whatever alien species he was, as no human he had met ever displayed THAT degree of fondness for battle….nor would they be willing to take such a risk to ensure it.

Noticing that they had reached the center of the island, Goku pulled himself away from those thoughts and descended to the ground, with Piccolo following suite. Goku then started removing his weighted clothing, with each piece leaving a small hole in the ground upon impact. At this Piccolo smirked and tossed his turban and cape aside, both leaving small craters where they landed.

"Wow Piccolo, I didn't know you trained with weighted clothing as well!" Goku said, surprise quite evident in his voice.

"Not until after you…_defeated_ me back then. It seems that even you have a _few_ ideas worth imitating," he stated with disdain. Then he snarled as he took his fighting stance, "Now then. Enough small talk, this ends now!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Goku chirped out happily, while getting into his own stance.

For the first several seconds the two watched each other intently, waiting for the other to make one wrong move. Piccolo was the first one to attack, as he rushed towards Goku with his fist clenched tightly. Ducking just a fraction of a second before the punch would have connected with the side of his head, Goku then spun around and launched a kick aimed at Piccolo's stomach, only to have it blocked with the others leg. After Piccolo kicked Goku away with his free leg he dashed forwards, but Goku flipped under him and slammed an elbow into his back, which sent him soaring into the air. Pressing his current advantage, Goku blasted off towards him.

When he saw Goku flying at him like rocket, Piccolo licked his lips and smirked.

"No you don't!" he shouted as he fired a small, dark purple blast at Goku.

Goku just barely avoided a direct hit, but it still didn't prevent his clothes from being singed when it passed right underneath him. The blast, while it had been deceptively small, generated a massive explosion as it hit the ground. Enough so that it prompted Goku to shield himself from all the debris flying his way. Seizing the opportunity, Piccolo rushed in and slammed a boot into his face, sending him hurtling towards the ground at an incredible rate of speed.

After slamming into the ground and forming a huge crater Goku couldn't help but feel exhilarated. Fights like this, were exactly what he lived for. However, he was quickly pulled away from his musings when Piccolo started firing a series of small ki blasts into the crater that he had formed only seconds before.

Goku managed to knock all the blasts away, where they flew across the water, exploding harmlessly above the ocean, leaving only a fading red glow on the edge of the horizon.

"_Impressive_ Son Goku, I see you managed to survive the opening act. Though I must say, I'd be a _bit_ disappointed if you had died so early on," he stated, again sarcasm evident in his voice. And oddly enough, he noticed that he didn't have much desire to kill the man. Injuring him severely however…he just _might_ enjoy that, he thought to himself as an evil smirk came over his face for a moment.

"Please. As if you could do me in that easily," Goku remarked arrogantly. "Still..." he added, "This won't be like before, I will not fall for any cheap tricks, understand?"

Piccolo smirked and nodded in affirmation. "I'm beyond the point of having to use such cowardly and distasteful means to defeat you. After all, beating you into the ground at your best will be so much more satisfying than relying on cheap tactics." With that said, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Not wanting to wait another second Piccolo quickly phased out of Goku's line of sight. Goku, however, managed to track his ki signature and easily avoided a swift jab to his face. At this Piccolo smirked and spun around and aimed a kick at Goku's back, only to have him leap gracefully over it.

He then fired a ki blast point blank at Piccolo's face only to have the blast effortlessly smacked right back into his stomach where it then detonated. The force from the explosion did little other than knock him back a few yards, and ripped a hole in his shirt, but it did distract him long enough for Piccolo to lunge at him and score a kick to his face, which sent him flying halfway across the island before he corrected himself.

No sooner than Goku had accomplished that did he find that Piccolo was already there, practically in his face already, cranking his fist back to throw a punch. He met Piccolo's punch with one of his own, which caused a massive shockwave that knocked over nearly every tree within a hundred yards. For several minutes they fought, darting from one corner of the island to the other. Slowly but surely the island was being torn apart, just from the force of their fists colliding with each other. With each second that passed the battle only seemed to grow more intense, neither one of them was willing to budge an inch. And yet they were still dead even.

After hardly managing to block an uppercut to his face, Piccolo threw a quick jab that was also blocked with apparent ease. Growing with frustration, he kicked Goku in the chest and using that to his advantage, he phased out of sight and appeared right behind Goku, smashing his elbow into the back of his head and sending him hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speed.

Just a few seconds before Goku hit the ground, he threw a ki blast downward in an effort to slow his descent. He then flipped and managed to land on his feet, with only a dull thud signifying that he had made contact. And the ki blast that he threw had a nice bonus; it had kicked up a very nice cloud of dust and smoke, making it nearly impossible to spot him.

To make sure Piccolo couldn't sense his location he then quickly suppressed his ki, effectively hiding his exact movements. He smirked when he sensed that Piccolo was already on the move, flying full speed towards the spot he was at.

Upon reaching his location Piccolo suddenly stopped, just meters away from the cloud of smoke and dust.

He knew that if he flew right in, he would literally be walking right into a trap. _Blast it. I can't see him with all that damned crap in the air, and the fool seems to have suppressed his ki._"Damn it Goku, where the hell are you hiding at you coward!" he yelled, his mounting frustration apparent in his voice. When he received nothing but silence his anger only grew.

"That's it! Since you obviously don't want to show yourself…I'll just blast you out!" He said while beginning to charge a large purple energy blast. Finally the dust and smoke begun to clear and he could now faintly see a spiky haired silhouette in the middle.

He chuckled as a wicked smirked formed on his lips."Hahaha, I've found you now! Perhaps next time you'll learn to hide yourself a bit better…TAKE THIS YOU FOOL!" he screamed while firing off the blast, the purple attack gaining reddish tints to it as it sped toward its target.

In just a few seconds the attack reached its goal and detonated. He hadn't put that much power into it, but it was still enough to blow up a large chunk of the island, in addition forcing him to shield himself from the debris that was flying his way.

As he looked back, he didn't sense Goku anywhere. He knew that the attack didn't have NEAR enough power to kill him, and once the dust from his attack cleared off he realized that he had been tricked.

All he could do for the first second was clench his fists in rage. "Damn him! It was a god damned after image!"

With that he whirled around, right into Goku's incoming boot. He only flew backwards a few yards before he had managed to recover, but by the time he had, Goku was already right on him.

"So who is the fool now?" taunted Goku as he punched him in the face, stunning him momentarily. Or so he thought. Right as he went to kick him in the stomach, Piccolo grabbed onto his leg and used his momentum to fling him up in the air.

Darting up into the sky after him with a hand already glowing with ki, Piccolo yelled. "You want to know who the fool is do you?…Well it's YOU." And right as he said the last bit, a large purple ball of ki shot out of his hand, heading straight towards Goku.

Correcting himself just a second later, Goku looked and spotted the blast just a few meters away from him, and without a moment to spare he fired one of his own to cancel it out. Unfortunately for him, due to the proximity of the blast, the resulting explosion knocked him several hundred feet backwards, in addition to ripping off what was left of the upper part of his gi.

Just as soon as he recovered from that, Piccolo was on him again with his fist raised ready to strike. After dodging the attack he spun around and aimed a kick at Piccolo's face, which was quickly blocked.

They both pulled back for a moment, panting with sweat beading and dripping down their faces. For a few heartbeats they eyed each other carefully before lunging forward, fighting with even greater intensity than before.

Back and forth they went from one side of the island to another, at speeds that no normal human could see. By this point the island had been reduced to little more than rubble, nearly all its foliage either burned by stray ki blasts or blown over by shockwaves, the island itself completely covered in craters. The fight had raged for over an hour, with no definite winner in sight. They were completely evenly matched.

Pulling back after dodging yet another jab to the face, Piccolo had grown annoyed by the battle and had decided it was time to end it. So after he launched a kick that had sent Goku sprawling backwards, he determined then was the time to launch his final attack.

After flying backwards several hundred feet and eventually managing to stop himself, Goku saw that Piccolo was already beginning to gather energy for what seemed to be a massive ki attack. _That's definitely new…he didn't have any techniques THIS powerful last time we fought_.

With the amount of power Piccolo had already gathered, he could only think of one move in his arsenal that could match it. As he got into stance and cupped his hands behind him, blue sparks begun to swirl around them.

With a serious look on his face he looked across to Piccolo. "I guess it comes down to this then…just so you know I'm not holding anything back." He then smirked as his ki came to life around him, the wind from it causing his hair levitate ever so slightly

"Good, this will be truly satisfying indeed, to beat you at your best!" Piccolo spat as orbs of dark red ki formed in each hand. "I came up with this technique for the SOLE purpose of defeating you, now prepare yourself!"

With that he combined the two orbs into one in his right hand, and taking his left hand he firmly grasped his right wrist, bracing himself for what would be one hefty attack. When Goku saw this he smirked and slowly a glowing mass of blue colored ki of his own began to form in his hands.

"Ka-"

Piccolos then placed both of his arms against his forehead, sweat running freely down his face and back as he struggled maintain control over the sheer amount of energy that he was collecting.

"Meh-"

"Ma-"

With a blue aura swirling around him, Goku continued to force more energy into his hands, all the while hoping it would be enough to actually beat Piccolo.

"Hahh-"

"Senko-"

All the energy in the air was generating almost hurricane like conditions, shredding the island further, and causing the sea to churn violently. Even hundreds of miles away at Kame house the effects could be felt as waves crashed onto the beach, and periodic flashes of lighting cut across the night sky.

"Meah-"

"Haaaa!" They shouted almost in unison as they unleashed their attacks. The two beams of light barreled towards each other, the force of them colliding made the two fighters shoot backwards several meters. The area where the attacks had met was a swirling vortex of dark blue energy, with bolts of electricity arcing all around it. Both were breathing heavily, completely focused on driving the others attack back. But even after more than a minute passed no progress had been made by either of them. Then... ever so gradually, Goku's beam had begun to overtake Piccolo's, slowing pushing it back inch by inch.

At this Piccolo was barely able to contain his rage. The fool had beaten him once…but to lose a second time, like THIS would be completely unacceptable. "No, no, NO! I won't be defeated like this, not AGAIN!" he yelled as he pulled out even more of his reserves and forced it into the attack. His muscles strained and tore from the effort. The sudden burst of power startled Goku, and the attack quickly began to push his beam back towards him. With only a few feet remaining before Piccolo's attack won. Things becoming very desperate, his body was already on the verge of completely giving out as it was, if he used too much more energy it could kill him. Then again, if he didn't he might be killed by the attack anyway. _Guess I really have no choice with this…_

Super…" he started to yell, as his muscles swelled to an almost unnatural degree. Every part of him felt as if it had suddenly burst into flame, but it was too late to stop now. "Kamehame…HAAAAAAA!"

The attack began to push Piccolo's back, till they were nearly dead even again. Trees, rocks and even parts of the island itself were lifted into the air by the sheer amount of energy being poured into the attack, and a massive bulge was forming at the center where the two attacks met, with lighting coursing viciously around it, arcing off every which way. And when it suddenly and violently expanded, both fighters quickly realized what was about to happen…

...

...

Several hours later, Goku awoke, half buried in sand, with the ocean waves gently washing over him, the salty water stinging his many cuts and burns. He temporarily had to shield his eyes from the rising sun, and spent a moment wondering what in the world had happened.

The last thing he remembered was being engaged in a beam struggle against Piccolo, when suddenly there had been this big explosion and then… that's what had happened he realized. Apparently they had put too much into that attack and it blew up on them, that explained why he had been unconscious and lying in a pool of salt water.

Slowly he stood up, with his legs nearly buckling under the strain….he then wondered where Piccolo was, if he had managed to survive the blast, surely Piccolo would have too.

He closed his eyes and began focusing, trying to see if he could sense the others ki signature. Sensing something he quickly opened his eyes and whirled around, and when he looked up, he saw a figure in the distance blocking the sun.

With the glare he couldn't be too sure he wasn't seeing things, but he could have sworn he saw a cape blowing in the wind. However, the moment he blinked, the figure had vanished. He smirked, suspicions confirmed.

His peace of mind didn't last long as he then realized something, he had left in the morning the day BEFORE to visit with the hermit and his other old friends, and now it was morning…again.

Suddenly he began to sweat profusely. "Oh man, she really is going to let me have it this time!" he said in exasperation.

* * *

><p>Completely and utterly exhausted. Those words didn't even begin to describe how Piccolo felt after that battle with Goku. Hell it was a miracle that <em>either<em> of them had even survived the explosion that their attacks had caused.

He had been stupid to not expect something like that, but at the time all he had on his mind was winning, at any cost. In a way he could _technically _claim victory. He had awoken and even managed to take to the sky before he spotted Goku shakily climbing to his feet.

So in a sense it could be viewed as such, that since he was the first to regain consciousness he was the winner by default. But in the end it was just him grasping for straws, a way to salvage some of his pride.

Truth was it was nothing short of a draw, both managing to put an equal amount of force into an attack that had both of them laid out for several hours. It was just random chance that he happened to be the first one to wake up. It would be idiotic to consider it any sort of victory; like flipping a coin, it meant nothing.

And so he flew, for what seemed like hours, till he finally reached a nice large, secluded area. And after landing roughly on the branch of a large oak tree he immediately collapsed, falling asleep nearly instantly. It wasn't however the peaceful sleep he desired…

_The air was completely full of smoke. Buildings lay in ruin as wicked laughter echoed loudly for miles around. People running, screams of terror becoming a cacophony of noise, only to be drowned out by more of that vile laugher. Ki blasts rained down upon the town like hail in thunderstorm, killing and injuring hundreds as they hit._

_Suddenly the scene changed, as a figure descended into a terror stricken group of people. Extending its palm it fired a ki blast through the chest of a cowering victim, only to rush forwards and grab a man-probably hardly out of his teen years- tightly by the throat. Ignoring his pleas for mercy, the creature squeezed tighter and tighter, smiling wickedly as the man's face turned blue then a dark shade of purple. Suddenly a sickening crack was heard and he hurtled the body through the windshield of a car, instantly killing its driver. Another bout of laughter soon followed, and as the creatures steps over fragments of glass it turns and glances into what remained of a mirror. And instead of seeing the face of Daimao in the reflection, he saw something far worse. He saw himself…_

He awoke suddenly in a cold sweat, and after silently cursing Daimao, he mentally berated himself for his stupidity. On the rare occasion he even allowed himself the luxury of sleep, he had always went through a long and rigorous meditation session, to keep his sire's memories at bay.

Still, a few times some memories of Daimao's past life slipped through. They were never this bad before though...it was always Daimao he saw in the dreams; this time it was him committing those acts. Perhaps that was what truly bothered him the most. Still, he refused to dwell on the matter for long. After calming himself, he closed his eyes and began his meditation.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

**_23rd WMAT:_  
><strong>

Goku: 562 (Severely wounded): 480 and falling. (Partially healed): 200

Piccolo: 540 (Fatigued from firing the island destroying blast): 392 (Seriously wounded): 25 (Partially restored): 120

Krillen: 422 (Fatigued, and slightly injured from Piccolo's blast*): 366

Tien: 424 *: 367

Yamcha: 380 *: 329

Master Roshi/Jackie Chun: 327 *: 306

Kami: 515

Chi-Chi: 135 *: 117

_**1 year after** **WMAT**:_

Goku: 732

Krillin: 600

Piccolo: 697

_**Goku/Piccolo rematch, 2 years after WMAT:**_

Goku: 772 (Kamehameha): 988 (Super Kamehameha): 1,015

Piccolo: 774 (Masenko): 975 (Enraged Masenko): 1,014

* * *

><p><em>Beta read by lilpumpkingirl<em>


	2. Changes

**Disclaimer:**

_**Dragonall, Dragonball Z and all its copyrights are owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine, nothing more.**_

_**...**_

_**...**_

_Also, I apologize about the lengthy wait, but I tend to have a very busy schedule, often with little time for writing. I also like to write ahead, so may not post a chapter till I am a decent way into writing the next._

_..._

_..._

_...Chapter 2_

* * *

><p>On the edge of a forest, a cloaked figure walked down a weed infested path. In his left hand was an orange ball, bearing five red stars upon its surface. Only a few hundred feet ahead loomed the remains of a once magnificent castle.<p>

With a dark smirk he laughed quietly to himself. His master was sure to be pleased with him for his latest accomplishment. He then glanced at the object in his hand curiously, he wasn't sure how seven of these things were supposed to grant any sort of a wish…but it wasn't his place to question his orders. After only a few more minutes spent, he had reached what served as the throne room for the wicked creature he served.

A diminutive creature, almost demon like in appearance was seated at the throne. On either side he was flanked by his two other minions. The one on his left was of average height, with white hair, pale blue skin and a slightly aged appearance. The other had a far more brutish and terrifying form; tall, much more so than his comrade, heavily built, and long orange sideburns that extended all the way down, dangling in front of his chest.

He quickly knelt before the throne; hand extended, and presented the orange orb to his master.

Reaching out and practically snatching the ball, the imp like fiend quickly inspected it, as if to confirm something about it. Satisfied with what he saw, he laughed quietly, almost to himself.

"Well then, five down two more to go. Though it certainly took you long enough to find it…-" he said in a rather bored tone. "However, this brings me one step closer to my goal. Only two dragonballs remain, soon I will have them all, and then I will have MY wish."

And as a sick smile crossed his lips he continued, "I am very pleased with this however, despite the delays. Go now Ginger, and bring me the last two dragonballs!"

As he stood and, for the first time allowed his hood to fall, Ginger followed suite with a twisted smile of his own. "As you command, Lord Garlic."

…

…

…

"Goku!" screamed Chi Chi at her husband. "He isn't even three years old yet; he still is not old enough for this. I told you I _might_ allow you to train him when he got older, I didn't mean when he was a toddler." _Honestly, the nerve of that man_ …

"But Chi Chi," whined Goku "I just want to start teaching him some of the basics…nothing too rough yet" he said.

"I still say he's too young Goku" she said, anger clearly evident in her tone. "He needs to grow up and make something of himself, not become some kind of a brainless muscle head."

She suddenly slammed her foot down on the floor and screeched "Honestly, getting him involved in the sort of things you did when you were a kid…you're his father, you should be trying _protect _him from stuff like that, not endangering him by-"

"Chi Chi!" he snapped suddenly. Completely taken aback she actually took a quick step backwards, nearly tripping in the process. He almost _never_ raised his voice like that, especially not towards her.

"Chi Chi-" he said, much softer this time. "I would _never _do anything to put him in any danger. I just want to make sure he would be able to defend himself _if _I wasn't there to protect him. I know he's still kind of young, but I'll take it easy on him. Just all the basic stuff; no ki or anything like that for quite while…I promise."

She didn't really want to admit it to him, but he was right. What if something _did_ happen and Goku wasn't there. _Best not think about that… ,_it would be for the best if he did learn how to fight, at least he wouldn't be completely defenseless in case trouble struck.

Slowly she began to nod her head in agreement. "I guess so, but only for an hour or two a day. That's all I'm going to allow for now, you go that?" she said sternly.

_Wow…didn't expect her to agree that fast…_ Scratching the back of his head in typical Son fashion he paused for a moment.

"Umm…ok. Sounds great Chi Chi…" he said his voice clearly betraying how surprised he actually was.

"So where is Gohan at right now?" he questioned.

"He's outside playing." She said while smiling. "You should go check on him now though."

"Ok then. Maybe I could start training him today-" he stopped short when he saw the glare she was giving him. Unconsciously he scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner. "Well maybe not right away…" he said with a sweat drop running down his face.

* * *

><p><em>How pathetic<em>

Normally having such exceptional hearing would be considered a blessing, but at the moment Piccolo was seriously considering the notion of tearing his ears off. From his perch in the top of a large tree overlooking the Son house, he could still hear nearly every word that was said.

It meant nothing to him however. As he looked towards the child playing absentmindedly, a wicked smile formed on his lips. That brat was the centerpiece of his plan. Ever since his last battle with that naïve fool of a man, Son Goku, he had been increasingly plagued by memories of his sire's former life, and twisted visions of himself, becoming exactly like him.

Nothing it seemed could stop them from invading his mind; even meditation had become ineffective, bit by bit they were slowly driving him insane. Something needed to be done.

Although he initially given up on his goal of killing Goku; he recently started to believe that _he_ had something to do with his recent mental torment. Eventually he had begun to believe that by destroying him, it would satisfy the small part of him that yearned for his death, and maybe put an end to the turmoil in his mind.

He wasn't sure if he could beat him in a fair fight, but with his mind as clouded as it was, he honestly couldn't care less. He would use the brat as leverage, by taking him hostage. Then, once Goku came after him, he would use that to his own advantage. And if need be, he would give Goku an ultimatum, his life, or that of his son. It was perfect, or so he thought.

Deep inside however, he wasn't sure he could actually KILL the kid. He most certainly didn't care for the brat, not in the least. But to actually kill him, it just seemed almost..._wrong._

Suddenly snapping to attention, he knew he had to act now if he wanted his plan to have any chance of succeeding. He could sense Goku's ki moving closer and closer to the door to the backyard; any second now that idiot would be walking outside, well he would be in for one hell of a surprise when he did…

Silently he leapt from the tree, careful not to make any sound. Not missing a beat he rushed toward Gohan, who had at that exact moment turned in to face him. Unsurprisingly, the brat had started screaming at the sight of him charging toward him. Not wishing to endure the noise, he quickly snatched up the child and delivered a swift chop to the back of his neck. Not enough to cause any permanent harm, just enough to knock him unconscious for at least a few hours.

Quickly he tucked the brat under his right arm and got into a defensive stance, or at least the best he could manage considering the baggage he was currently carrying. Inside he felt Goku's ki suddenly spike; not too surprisingly, less than a second later Goku had literally burst through the backdoor, his face twisted into a feral grimace.

The look even unnerved Piccolo for a couple seconds. He quickly pushed the feeling aside and shot a sinister smirk at Goku, who had his fists clenched so tightly that the whites of his knuckles could clearly be seen.

"Piccolo," Goku said, his entire body tense with rage, "I don't know what the _hell _this is about, but this is between the two of us, so put my son down right now!" He didn't know what in the world had gotten into Piccolo; he thought he could change, _was _changing even. But this made him really question his prior decision on whether it was worth it to spare his life.

"Or else what, Goku?" taunted Piccolo. "Or are you so stupid as to forget the most important detail, I have your son right here" he said while smirking at the other's obvious distress.

"And if you value his life in the slightest, you _will _be doing this my way. And if you do something I do not like," He tightened his grip around Gohan's shirt, and formed a small orb of ki in his free hand. "Then I _might_ not be able to guarantee his well being, if you get what I'm saying" The smirk on his face faded when he saw Goku tense up even more. For a moment he even thought Goku might try and attack him.

It would be foolish if he did attack, and he was actually a bit relieved that Goku didn't. That would mean that he might actually have had to act on his threat, and he still wasn't sure if he could actually kill the kid, or whether or not he was actually bluffing Goku the entire time. Still he didn't want Goku to even notice the tiny amount of relief he did feel when nothing happened, he could not show any sign of weakness now.

Goku however did pick up on the subtle change in Piccolo, but since it came and went so fast, he couldn't quite figure out what prompted it. And a small part of himself suspected, that maybe, just maybe Piccolo was bluffing. Still, it was Gohan's life potentially on the line; and with a person that was as unpredictable and volatile as Piccolo was known to be, it likely wouldn't bode well to call him out on a possible bluff.

At the moment, he couldn't see a lot of ways out of it, his only real option seemed to be to do as Piccolo said. And if need be, he would give his own life if it meant saving Gohan's.

"So what then," he said while fighting to keep his anger in check. "What do you even hope to gain from this?" He questioned harshly. If anything, he dreaded what the answer would be.

"Your death of course." Piccolo said gruffly. And for some reason it didn't completely surprise Goku, though he was certainly not pleased. While he wouldn't consider him an ally or friend by any means; he thought, or at least hoped that Piccolo had at least gotten past wanting to kill him. Of course he had no real idea why Piccolo was doing this, and as far as the green man was concerned, he never would.

"But now is not the time and place for that," he paused for a moment, as if to consider the situation. "Oh no, I plan to draw this out as much as possible. I can just imagine how much you and that hellish, banshee of a woman will stress and worry about your _precious_ child." The look Goku gave him at that moment was priceless, but some nagging feeling in the back of his mind was preventing him, somehow, from truly enjoying the moment as he should have. Ignoring it for the moment, he couldn't help sneering at his enemy. "And in case your infantile mind hasn't figured it out yet, I'm taking the kid here with me, as a sort of insurance policy."

"No!" Goku said as he tookd a step forward. "I won't let you just-"

"Enough!" Piccolo roared, interrupting him.

"You don't have any say in this, remember, his life is in _my _hands now. Don't worry, he will be _well _taken care of, I can assure you. Unless you do anything foolish of course." Satisfied that he made his point, he continued. "I'll be taking my leave now, so I would advise you not to do anything too rash. And don't worry, when I ready to deal with you, I'll make sure you know it. And just so you don't feel to badly," he said as he formed an orb of energy in his hand. "Here's a parting gift for you!" he threw the blast toward Goku, hitting him dead on and sending him flying into the side of the house.

Taking advantage of this, he tucked Gohan underneath his arm, and dashed of into the forest, not stopping till he was several miles away from the Son residence. Once he was absolutely sure he wasn't being pursued, he suppressed his ki down to a nearly undetectable level; then after a moments consideration, he darted off in a different direction, not stopping for several hours.

When he could hear the almost deafening roar of water cascading over the edge of a distant cliff face, his pace began slow ever so slightly. Finally he had come to his destination. As he looked up towards the familiar waterfall, he almost felt a sense of peace come over him. It was quickly dispelled when he felt the weight in his arm shift slightly, reminding him of what he needed to do. _As if that could ever happen...peace...for a monster..._

He came to a complete stop just a couple dozen meters away. He paused for a brief moment, then cast one final look back towards the forest as it was bathed in the fading glow of twilight. Then with a single swift movement, he leapt through the torrent of water and landed smoothly on the inside of the cliff facing, with scarcely a drop of water clinging to him.

He quickly walked the last few feet along the narrow path, till finally he reached a hole in the cliff facing. He had to slouch a bit to get in through the rather low lying entrance, but past that, it was quite spacious. Not that he needed anything special in which to dwell in, for someone like him it was more than satisfactory. He never stayed at any one spot for too long a time anyway.

Almost casually he tossed the kid down to the ground, causing him to whimper softly. He _almost, _felt pity for the runt. He couldn't quite understand it either. The little bastard was the son of his arch enemy, so to feel anything at all for him, confounded Piccolo to no end. Maybe it was because he felt some sort of twisted kinship with him. He wasn't even THAT much older than what the little brat was. All he knew was that he was completely alone, from day one, with nothing but sick, evil thoughts and memories to guide him. And thanks to that, _thing _that was his father, his childhood passed by almost in the blink of any eye. And all for the sake of being able to quickly gain enough power to kill Son Goku, and then unleash the forces of hell themselves upon the land.

And in a truly ironic twist of fate, not only had he taken the kid captive, he was also plotting he death of _his _father. But it wasn't for Daimao, he didn't owe that monster a damn thing. He was doing it for himself. Or so he had thought, what he couldn't see was that it _was_ Daimao who was indeed pulling the strings; using all the lingering hatred, doubt and any other negative feelings or emotions he could latch on to to guide Piccolo further into darkness.

As he walked over to the far corner of the cave, it finally occurred to him just how exhausted he was; and not just physically. Having practically collapsed, he closed his eyes and prepared to start his meditation ritual.

...

...

...

He wasn't sure how much time had actually passed, it could have been minutes or even hours for all he knew. But just as he was in that state; between meditation and sleep, he was suddenly jolted out of it by a sudden, and distinct sound. _Goddamn it...blasted kid would decide to wake up now!_

For a few moments he tried to ignore the kid, and even considered blasting him to get him to shut up. Anything to stop that awful racket. He dismissed the idea quickly enough; he still needed him alive for his plan to work, or at least that was what he tried telling himself. But in actuality, he already HAD the kid, so Goku wouldn't even know if he did kill him. Hell, for all he knew that could have already been the case. So why, why keep him alive at all? He, for the life of him, couldn't figure it out.

It had been several minutes though, and he still wouldn't be quite. So finally Piccolo decided that his ears had suffered enough for one day.

He quickly jumped into a standing position and bellowed across the room, "Enough with the blasted crying already!" When nothing happened and the brat kept on screaming, he darted across the room in a flash; appearing right in front of the boy. Snarling, he grabbed him roughly by the collar and hoisted him so that the brat was eye level with him. And surprising, the kid actually stopped screaming for a moment.

"Listen up real good kid, because I'm only going to say this once. Keep that incessant whining up any longer and I will be forced to rip out that tongue of yours. But if you're quiet...I may be generous and allow you to keep it, understand me?" he barked out. Slowly the boy nodded his head in affirmation. Grunting, Piccolo released his hold on the boys collar, sending him down to the stone floor with a dull _thud_.

Satisfied with the response he received, he turned and prepared to head back to the far side of the cavern; to _try_and get some sleep. Just a few short steps later he paused when he heard a soft, sobbing noise.

_Damn this kid._

"What the hell is it now?" he growled. Just as the boy was about to open his mouth to answer, Piccolo raised his hand dismissively, as a sign to keep quiet. "I think I know what _your_ problem is..." he said with a look on his face, that was some twisted combination of a smirk and a scowl. "You probably want to go back...home, to those buffoons you call _parents..._don't you?"

Watching as the kid nervously nodded , Piccolo frowned. _Big surprise there..._ He should have seen that coming. "Well guess what kid, you better make yourself at home here," he said gruffly. "Because you're going to be stuck with me for quite a while..._or at least until I deal with your father." _The last part was said under his breath, but he still wasn't sure; given the kids confused expression, if he managed to catch that bit. It didn't matter at any rate, once he had disposed of Goku he _might_ consider allowing him to go, but not till then.

Surprisingly too, at least to Piccolo, he didn't make any real fuss over the issue. Maybe it was because he wasn't old enough to comprehend the situation, or perhaps he may have inherited Goku's _stunning_ intellect after all. Snorting at the thought, he walked back to his part of the cavern and resumed his meditation where he left off.

* * *

><p>Over the next few days, Piccolo had found himself unsure on what exactly, his next move would be. At first he had tried to tolerate and ignore the kid to the best of his abilities, but he quickly found that to be impossible. And at first, he despised the boy, wondering if it was even worth going all the trouble; just so he could eliminate Goku.<p>

Slowly however, he came to realize that he was beginning to feel, almost a sort of affection for the kid. Why though? He couldn't even fathom such a thing, he was brought into the world for the sole purpose of destruction; so how was it even possible that he could have any feelings other than those associated with that? Of course, he couldn't flat out admit such things to anyone; hell he barely believed it himself.

And this was the primary cause of his relative inaction. He wasn't sure how to go about the next phase of his plan, and on a subconscious level, was even beginning to question the logic of what he was doing. A tiny voice in the farthest corner of his mind was telling him that what he was planning was foolish, and that it was just a ploy by Daimao to bring him back to his evil ways. But so far he had been suppressing that notion, not wanting to believe that it could actually be true.

On the fourth day Piccolo found himself more restless than ever before. It was coming to a point where all the conflicting thoughts and feelings were about to drive him insane.

After spending the entire morning, and better part of the afternoon meditating, he felt somewhat calmer. Still he couldn't completely shake the uneasy feeling he was having. Glancing over to the far corner of the room, he saw that the kid was just starting to stir. And despite his better judgement, he found himself walking over to him.

As he looked down at the boy, who was currently sitting up, he noticed something. He saw no fear in his eyes; instead they almost looked...trusting. He shook his head quickly, trying to dispel such nonsense. If the brat trusted him in the slightest, he was even stupider than Goku was; and to Piccolo, that was really saying something.

And it was just at this moment, that he realized he didn't even know the boys name. Why that would even matter, was another mystery to him. So after narrowing his eyes, he said in a rather gruff tone "Well kid, I'm curious...do you even have a name, or was your father to stupid to ignorant to even come up with anything?" Almost instantly he regretted ever wondering, but it was to late to take that question back now.

The boy paused for a second, before nervously answering, "G-Gohan s-sir..."

Sneering, Piccolo mumbled "How amusing..." he paused for a moment, somehow that name seemed familiar to him. "Seems your _father_ wasn't quite as stupid as I thought he was..."

...

...

...

It had been days since Piccolo had taken his son, and Goku was absolutely frantic. Chi Chi was another matter entirely, she had fainted when she found out what had happened, and even after waking up she didn't react in any predictable sort of way. After screaming her head off at Goku, she was almost completely silent. And that unnerved Goku more than anything, he could deal with her screaming rants, but to be practically a mute, he just couldn't handle it.

He couldn't understand what had happened with Piccolo to cause this. He hadn't reached any point where he could trust him, but what he did seemed to come out of nowhere. He thought he was starting to change for the better. While he wanted to know what caused him to do this, finding Gohan and taking him back was the top priority.

At first he had scoured the entire area, trying to figure where Piccolo had went. But it had been in vain, considering he had no doubt suppressed his ki.

After two days of almost constant searching, he had reluctantly resigned himself to his home. He didn't want to think Piccolo would harm his son, and hoped this could be resolved without anyone having to die. Piccolo had told him he would contact him, at _his_ convenience, so he no doubt had something devious planned for then. But he hoped his son would be fine till then. Such thinking however, did little to ease Goku's mind, and he hadn't slept a bit since.

By the end of the fourth day, he was almost out of his mind with worry. He finally decided that if Piccolo didn't make his presence known in the next hours, he was going to find him, by ANY means.

And if need be, if it insured Gohan's safety, he would gladly make the greatest sacrifice any father could ever make for their child...

* * *

><p>Conversing with the kid, no...<em>Gohan, <em>had been amusing to say the least. Piccolo had thought that much. He did seem to grow noticeably agitated when he had insulted his fool of a father. He was also quite intelligent for his age; at least based on his knowledge of human children, and that was made all the more impressive considering who his father was.

And he didn't react with much fear when Piccolo told him who he really was, though he did at least seem to know of him. Probably thanks to Goku, though he had apparently omitted _certain_ details. He had almost snorted at that thought, of course that naive bastard would try to shelter his spawn in such a way... Not that it really mattered now. He would find out soon enough his true nature.

What was truly surprising was that he had even found his presence tolerable. It seemed almost pleasant to have someone to interact with, given that he always had forced himself to live isolation up till this point.

The one thing he didn't share was the fact that he was planning to kill his father. For some reason he didn't want to face his reaction, and more over, that it might actually make him reconsider his plans. And now, he could at least grudgingly admit to himself that he was beginning to form some level of attachment to Gohan. Though the idea was still a bit repulsive, primary because he thought it was a sign of weakness, it was still a tolerable idea.

And after Gohan had went back to sleep much later on in the night, Piccolo had resumed his typical meditation. But shortly before dawn he was pulled out of it by something rather alarming, _Goku_. He was out, probably searching for his location. It didn't seem like he actually knew where he was currently, but he was wondering extremely close all the same. But he could tell right away from Goku's ki that something was off. It seemed that it was fluctuating much more than it should otherwise be. The idiot probably hadn't rested at all since he had taken his son, and now his body was paying the price for it.

_Perfect_ he thought grimly to himself. Considering Goku's nearing proximity, it seemed to Piccolo like the perfect chance to finish him off once and for all. And ignoring his reservations, he quickly made his way through to the outside of the cave. What he didn't realize was that Gohan was awake, and had seen him leaving the cave.

After jumping through the waterfall, he paused to collect himself for a moment. Then he started raising his power as high as it could go, with his weighted clothing on of course. And sure enough, Goku had picked up on it and was quickly heading towards his location.

So this was it. Scarcely a minute passed before Goku arrived, stopping only a few meters away from Piccolo. Just by his disheveled appearance, he could tell that his guess was correct. It was obvious that he hadn't slept a bit in the past four days. No doubt worrying about the safety of his son. And all for nothing, after all, he had no intention of harming Gohan, not now at least. But he wouldn't let Goku catch on to that one.

And his power was much lower than it should have been, and for a moment Piccolo regretted how little of a challenge he would likely offer. But he had to do this, anything to free his mind. And this might be his last, and only reach chance to actually kill him.

"Where is he Piccolo?" barked Goku rather forcefully. "You better not have hurt him or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Piccolo interrupted. Before Goku could even respond he continued, "In any case, he is fine. You're the one I'm after, he was just the bait. So I had no reason to do anything to him. It wouldn't have even been worth the effort anyway." he spat.

Goku shot Piccolo an icy look before speaking, "Then where is he Piccolo, this is the last time I'm going to ask you."

It took every bit of restrain to refrain from outright blasting him for such a _stupid_ question. "Idiot. Have you forgotten how to sense energy or what," Piccolo growled out. "Because if you had actually tried, you should have easily been able to pick up on his ki by now."

And sneering, he continued, "But that doesn't matter now. Because if you're not getting him back unless you can some how manage to defeat me. And I just can't see that happenin-"

But before he could even finish his sentence, Goku had rushed forward, and smashed his boot directly into Piccolo's face.

After flipping end over end dozens of times, Piccolo managed to right himself just before he crashed into the tree line. Looking upward he saw Goku throwing away his weighted clothing. And in doing so it brought his power up dramatically. Much higher that what he thought it would be.

_Damn it all! His power is almost at my level..._ Noting that, he would have to be much more cautious than he previously planned. But no matter.

Quickly discarding his turban and cape, and then spitting out a mouth full of blood; he rushed towards Goku, fist already cranked back. "Guess you're not in the mood for small talk today, well that suits me just fine, in fact I was thinking the same thing!" he said while aiming his fist right at Goku's unguarded face.

Quickly Goku leaped over it, with Piccolo sailing just inches below him. Before he could react, Piccolo had already charged a small blast, and right as Goku was spinning around Piccolo fired it right toward his face.

Goku held up his hand at the last second to shield himself from the blast, but was still knocked several feet backwards by the explosion. Attempting to take advantage of this, Piccolo lunged forward and was preparing to slam an elbow into his gut, but Goku recovered in time and delivered a swift jab to Piccolo's throat, sending him reeling backwards, sputtering while clutching at his throat.

Reaching forward, he grabbed Piccolo's leg, but was thrown back when Piccolo fired two thin beams, one from each eye, right into his chest. Other than having a large chunk of his Gi ripped off, he was otherwise unharmed. But in his surprise he left himself wide open, and Piccolo seized the opportunity and flipped forwards, bringing his knee down onto Goku's skull and sending him flying towards the ground like a missile.

Right as he was about to hit, Goku righted himself and braced his legs for the impact. As soon as he had stopped himself from digging any further into the ground, he looked skyward and saw Piccolo barreling towards him, and just when Piccolo's boot was about to connect with his head, he jumped backwards narrowly avoiding the blow. Quickly Piccolo tried to spin around to defend himself, but was thrown back when Goku extended his hand and launched a powerful, wind like ki burst into his side.

Catching himself half a second later, he spun and caught a a punch aimed squarely at his jaw. Right when he saw that Goku preparing to strike with his other hand, Piccolo quickly yanked him forwards, and slung him face first into the ground half a dozen feet away. Not wanting to give him any time to recover, Piccolo quickly formed a ki orb in each hand; the second Goku regained his footing, Piccolo combined the two blasts together and launched it right at him.

Much to his surprise however, Goku quickly spun around and managed to catch the blast, his feet digging into the ground as he strained to hold it at bay. Frowning, Piccolo jumped a good hundred feet backwards, before forming a small orb and firing it directly at the one Goku was struggling with. At the last second he managed to throw the blast up into the air, but not quick enough to prevent it from colliding with Piccolo's second blast.

The resulting explosion level several acres of forest, in addition to sending both fighters hurtling several hundred yards away. After a few seconds spent getting their bearings straight, they rushed each other, each intent on ending the fight as quickly as possible.

They went back and forth for several minutes, with neither managing to gain the upper hand. Piccolo also found that while he was at an advantage as far as power went, Goku was displaying an almost unfathomable amount of tenacity. Even though Goku's ki was falling at a higher rate than his own, it didn't seem like it was getting any easier. He seemed to have switched to a more defensive style of fighting, and was making an excellent use of hit and run tactics. But Piccolo knew that if he could manage to actually hit him with everything he had, he could easily disable him. The trick was in finding an opening.

After yet another brief exchange, each managed to land a solid blow to the others face, knocking themselves several meters backwards. After recovering, they both got back into fighting stances, neither wanting to be the one to make the first move. Suddenly Piccolo lunged forwards, feigning a right hook, to which Goku instinctively tried to duck underneath. But instead of following through with the punch, Piccolo opened his mouth and fired a concentrated beam of ki right at his face.

Unable to block in time, Goku tried to weave off to the side to avoid the blast, but it still managed to engulf his entire left arm. The attack had done a fair amount of damage to his arm, he could barely even move his fingers, much less even attempt to defend himself. To him, things were really starting to get desperate.

Piccolo grinned when he saw just how much that blast had injured him, he hadn't expected it to do _that_ much damage. But it was exactly what he was looking for, and as he saw Goku attempt to move to a defensive stance, he rushed towards him, with a twisted glint in his eyes. He quickly aimed a kick at Goku's skull, but to his amusement, Goku managed to grab his leg. Seeing that Goku's good arm was occupied, he extended his hand and quickly fired a small blast in Goku's face, stunning him.

With the odds firmly stacked in his favor, Piccolo then drove his elbow into Goku's stomach, following up with a punch that sent him sailing skyward. Smirking, he gathered his ki and blasted off, quickly intercepting Goku's path. Not wanting to give Goku any chance to defend himself, he grabbed Goku into a bear hug, and immediately sped down towards the ground.

The two impacted with enough force to form a crater nearly a hundred meters around, and easily twenty meters deep. Piccolo quickly forced himself into a standing position, the force from the impact had shaken him up a bit, but it was nothing compared to Goku. Glaring down, he saw that Goku was still conscious, and was attempting to pick himself up, with little success. Piccolo could hardly believe what he saw at first, but quickly thought better of that notion. This was the same man who had continued to fight after sustaining a hole to the chest, so this was hardly surprising.

Slowly a faint glow formed around Piccolo's hand, as he prepared to deliver the final blow. This was the moment he had been waiting for his entire life, was it not? So why was it that he felt no satisfaction from what he was about to do?

Propping himself up on his elbows, Goku smiled weakly "I guess this is it. I was hoping it wouldn't have ended like this..."

"Really, Goku?" Questioned Piccolo, "You honestly couldn't see this coming, you know full well who I am, you really must have been deluded if you thought you saw any good in me."

"But you didn't have to do this, you could have changed an-" Goku started to plead, before being interrupted.

"No!" Boomed Piccolo. "You really don't understand a damn thing do you?" Slowly, the the energy around his hand began to glow brighter, as he unconsciously started to put more energy into it. "You will die today..._and maybe I can finally be at peace". _The last part was nearly a whisper, and Goku wasn't even sure he had heard Piccolo correctly. If he had heard right, then their was probably quite a bit more going on that he didn't understand.

Piccolo then extended his palm, preparing to finish Goku off for good.

"Wait!" Goku shouted. "I don't care what happens to me, but please, promise me that you will let Gohan go. He has nothing to do with any of this."

For a moment he nearly faltered. Regaining his composure, he smirked at Goku. "I suppose I could grant you that much. And unlike you, his presence is actually _tolerable_."

Goku was greatly perplexed at the way he said that, but he didn't have time to ponder what he meant, because he could see something climbing down the cliff face. _Gohan? What in the world is he doing..._

Right when he was less than ten feet from the ground, Gohan suddenly lost his grip, making a tiny thud when he hit. Fortunately he managed to get up rather quickly, and began running over to where Piccolo and Goku were.

With the noise he made, Piccolo turned and saw him running his way. For a moment, a look of utter shock crossed his face. He quickly replaced it with a neutral expression and he turned back to Goku.

"Gohan, get back now!" yelled Goku. This was way to dangerous for him to be getting this close. But Gohan wasn't listening to him. Quickly he saw Piccolo pointing his hand at his father, and it was glowing.

Coming to a complete halt just a few feet from where Piccolo was standing, he said "Mis-Mister Piccolo, why is my dad on the ground like that, and why is your hand flashing?"

_God damn it! _This was it, he was hoping that the kid wouldn't have to see this, but no way out of it now.

"Kid," he started to say. a bit unsure of how to explain himself. "Me and your father here, we'll we aren't exactly what you might call, _friends_."

Noting his reaction, he frowned and continued, "In fact, I'm the one who did this to him. And now, I'm going to finish what I started, before you rudely interrupted. I'm going to kill him."

No sooner than the words left his mouth, a cry erupted from Gohan. And his ki actually jumped up a bit, certainly higher than it should have been.

Seconds later he jumped onto his back, screaming in his ear to stop, that he wasn't going to let him hurt his dad anymore. Piccolo almost scoffed at that, like he could do anything to stop him. And doing his best to ignore him, he pointed his hand at Goku again, and started pouring more power into the blast. He barely noticed it when Gohan started slamming his fists into his back, but it was only seconds later that he completely froze.

How could he do this? He would be doing exactly what Daimao wanted to do if he actually killed Goku.

And then it hit him, and he cursed himself for not listening to it earlier. Those twisted dreams, they would never go away if he did this, it was all a trick. Everything, all of this was just to bring him back to his sire's path; to make him become like _him _again. And he had walked right in, hardly giving it a second thought. He was the real fool, not Goku. The thought alone sickened him to his very core, and at that moment he felt a hatred greater than anything he had ever felt before. This time, it was Daimao that it was all focused on; the bastard had played him masterfully. But never again, from this moment onward, he would do everything in his power to be _different_ from that monster. This was his life, and he would be damned if he was going to allow himself to be a puppet for _anyone_. Especially Daimao.

Goku may have killed his sire; but in his mind, Daimao deserved it, and then some. And he then though back to that day, when Goku spared his life. He would never admit it out loud, but he actually respected Goku for it, deep down. So killing him in turn, would be a lousy way to repay him. What was more, he could not bring himself to hurt Gohan by doing so. So if he wanted to preserve his honor, or what little he had left, he knew that he only had one choice left.

Finally pulling himself out of such thoughts, he realized Gohan was still hanging on to him, sobbing quietly into the back of his shirt.

"Please, don't kill my daddy mister Piccolo, please..." Gohan sobbed.

"Fine!" growled Piccolo as he lowered his hand, and allowed the ki he gathered to dispel. "Now get the hell off me brat!"

Even Goku was a bit shocked at what he heard and saw. He was even more surprised when Piccolo grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him roughly to his feet. His legs nearly gave out at first, but he quickly managed to regain his balance.

Looking to Piccolo, he smiled.

"Piccolo...I don't know what to say." stammered Goku. "I really thought you were actually going to go through with it for a second, but you didn't..."

"Spare me the lecture, Goku. I've heard this speech of yours before; and I don't care to hear the "revised" version right now." growled Piccolo. And giving a twisted smirk, he went on, "And don't thank me for anything just yet..."

And faster than Goku's mind could even register, Piccolo phased out of sight and quickly reappeared behind him. Before Goku could turn around, Piccolo delivered a swift blow to the back of his head, that sent him tumbling to the ground in a heap, unconscious.

...

...

...

Several hours later, Goku finally started coming to. If it hadn't been for the sheer amount of pain he was in, he would have been quick to think he was already dead, and in Otherworld. As he opened his eyes, he saw all the bandages covering his body, and quickly felt the back of his head. Sure enough, their was a large bit of cloth wrapped around it. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was Piccolo disappearing from view and a sudden stabbing pain in the back of his head. Of course it had been Piccolo to knock him out...

As he thought more on the entire episode, it only served to puzzle him more. First Piccolo had taken Gohan, and seemed dead set on killing him. He could not comprehend what had caused the sudden regression, but even more shocking was that he had him at his mercy, and seemed poised to kill him. He could vaguely remember Gohan jumping on Piccolo's back and screaming at him to stop, but that still didn't explain it. And Piccolo's demeanor towards Gohan seemed a bit odd, if he didn't know better, he would have sworn that maybe he had started to form some sort of bond with him.

But the fact that he still spared his life, it seemed hard to swallow. Then there was the fact that he had woken up at home, in his own bed none the less. And even disregarding how odd Piccolo's sudden change of heart was, and how surprised he was that Piccolo didn't finish him off. It was even more out in left field that Piccolo had apparently been the one to drop him off; which was probably a pretty accurate guess when he thought about it literally; at his home. Obviously Gohan would have had no way to do that, he was too young, and couldn't even fly, let alone be capable of carrying him such a considerable distance.

But all in all, he was glad things turned out as well as they did. He still didn't think he could trust Piccolo all that much, but he no longer felt any need to fear for his life around him now. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he felt a subtle change in Piccolo in the seconds before he had dispelled the ki blast he had been preparing to finish him off with. It felt as if whatever darkness that had been lingering over him had altogether vanished, as if the he had finally overcome the last bits of influence Daimao had over him.

Of course, Chi Chi and all the others would probably think he was crazy for coming to such a conclusion, but it didn't matter to him. He was also sure that he would get an ear full anyway, once his wife finally came back in and found him awake. And he would almost_, almost_ rather fight Piccolo all over again than deal with her screaming rants. At least fighting he could understand, his wife, that was another story entirely...

* * *

><p>Almost a month after Gohan's kidnapping, things were getting back to normal for the Son family. Goku's injuries had, of course, healed up in under a weak. Such was normal for him, wounds that took anyone else weeks to recover from, took him only a matter of days.<p>

He had started training Gohan, and the most surprising thing was that Chi Chi actually encouraged him. He had only started with the absolute basics on technique, and had been spending more time demonstrating things than anything else. He had went over simple fighting techniques, and was only at this point, beginning to teach him the basics of sensing ki.

Every now and then, he had sensed, or at least thought he sensed Piccolo's presence near by. He always kept that to himself however, not wanting to set off his wife by mentioning such things. She still hadn't gotten over what Piccolo had done already, and wanted him nowhere near her family.

Once, during the middle of the night, he had noticed something odd. Gohan was not in bed, rather, he was outside near the edge of the forest. And what was more alarming was the fact that he had sensed Piccolo out as well. Immediately he had suspected the worst, but was relieved to see, after barely glancing out the door, that nothing was too amiss. From what he saw, Piccolo seemed to be giving Gohan some instruction using ki to create small, visible orbs of energy.

Why he was even doing it, Goku had no honest clue. But it was far better than how he _could _have ended up, and that thought had made him shudder briefly. And in a sense, Goku found it hard to ignore just how ironic it was. He had fought to the death with Piccolo's father, and had eventually killed him. Yet, it appeared that he was beginning to form a friendship with his son, Gohan. It was definitely bizarre to say the least.

But he never mentioned the incident to anyone, least of all to Chi Chi. He never even said a word to Gohan, though eventually he would have to confront the issue. The way he figured, as long as Piccolo had no malevolent intent, their was no harm in him being around Gohan. And if such actually ended up changing Piccolo for the better, then there was no issue to be had. In fact, it would be good to have him as an ally, in case any trouble ever presented itself.

...

...

...

...

Slowly Piccolo opened his eyes, having just finished a nearly twelve hour long meditation session. His thoughts often thought back to his last battle with Goku. In a way, he had wished he had never allowed himself to be led by Daimao so easily. But, he was glad, or as close as he could figure, because that entire ordeal had given him the resolve to completely break free from the shadow of his father. Now in hindsight, he could see just how wrong Daimao, and by correlation, him as well, were about everything. Everything that bastard once stood for, completely disgusted him now.

And while he still felt a familiar disgust at the thought of being near him, he had to to admit that he was glad that Goku had killed Daimao. Above all else, that demon had deserved it. Not that he would ever pass on a chance to beat Goku's face in; in fact, he would rather enjoy that, but he had absolutely no desire to kill him, not anymore.

He was an excellent opponent, probably the only person on the entire planet that stood a decent chance at beating him, and that alone was a good enough reason to keep him around. Much as he also hated to admit it, he truly held quite a decent amount of respect for him. And despite always taunting him over his lack of intelligence, it was very clear by then to Piccolo, that Goku was not stupid. Naive, and simple minded at times; but Piccolo suspected that those were, at least in part, a put on, to make his opponents underestimate him.

Then there was Gohan. He had started off despising the kid, but he had quickly grown on him. And, despite his better judgement, Piccolo eventually found himself sneaking over to the Son family residence, to check up on him. Noting that Goku was started to train him, he decided that he would, offer his "assistance" in that role. He knew that Goku would probably cave in to that loud mouth, banshee of a wife, and as such would likely omit certain things from his training. So he decided, that he would begin teaching him the basics of ki control.

Truth be told, the kid seemed to have quite a bit of promise, and was remarkably strong for his age. He just lacked control. Well, Piccolo had thought, he would teach him that. The kid just might end surprising everyone one day.

Suddenly, Piccolo was pulled out those thoughts when he sensed to rather large powers quickly approaching him. Recently he had come across a dragonball, and had decided to hang onto it. He had no use for it himself, but he felt that it would be prudent in keeping anyone who might really be a threat to the planet, from getting their hands on all seven. Now, seemed like it had been a good idea to do so, considering the dark energy that was practically radiating off of the two that were heading right for him.

Two blurs shot right past him, and skidded to a stop in mid-air, just a few feet behind him. One had blueish skin, and looked, in human terms, as if he were in his mid eighties**. The other was a **_hideous_ **giant, and had long orange hair all down his face, dandling down just above his chest. Both were significantly weaker than he was at full strength, but at Piccolo's current level they were definitely a threat.

Piccolo smirked; and while cracking his knuckles said, "Look, I really don't care who the hell you two misfits are, but if I were you I would leave, while you still have your lives." Suddenly a scowl overtook his features. "But I'm sure you freaks are here for something else, so state your business, or get the hell out of my sight!"

Grinning wickedly, the smaller of the two spoke up, "You know full well what we are here for, _Piccolo_." The fact that these two apparently knew his name, was of little surprise. After everything Daimao did, and his own battle with Goku at the tournament, Piccolo would have been surprised to find anyone of this planet that had never heard of him in some way or another. What made it unnerving was the fact that they had know_ exactly_ where to find him, and he had a hell of a good idea what they were after.

Taking on a neutral expression, the blue man continued, "We are looking for, the dragon-balls I believe they are called. And we know you have one of them." _The dragonball, damn. Of course they would want that..._ Glaring across, Piccolo got into a fighting stance. "Well, I have news for you, and who ever else is looking for these..." He quickly charged a large purple orb of ki in hand. "Consider this a gift!" With that, he hurtled the blast at the smaller of the two.

To Piccolo's surprise, both raised their power levels greatly; quite a bit above his current level. The one he launched the blast at handily batted it away, with minimal effort. He quickly raised his ki as much as possible in the time allowed, and rushed toward the larger of the two, fist glowing with energy. The orange giant tried to block, but wasn't quick enough, and the blow sent him barreling off in the distance, crashing into the dirt over a thousand yards away.

Before Piccolo had a chance to follow up however, the other one landed a kick to the middle of Piccolo's back that sent him sprawling. He recovered, and spun around just in time to kick the blue man away from him. Just then, he was blind sided by a ki blast, launched by the guy that he had just punched into the ground seconds before. The blast sent him rocketing forwards for several seconds, when he finally came to a stop, he spun around, narrowly avoiding a blow to the face.

Suddenly the smaller of the two spoke up, "Take it easy Sansho. We can't kill this guy, not yet at least."

The larger of the two, who was apparently called Sansho, replied "Alright, alright Nicky. I was just trying to have a little bit of fun with him is all."

"Yes, but we need him alive for now. If he dies, the dragonballs won't be any good, and lord Garlic wouldn't be to pleased."

_That name!_ Piccolo recognized that right away. It was from some left over memory that Daimao had, when he and Kami were still one. Apparently Garlic had also wanted to be the guardian of earth. When he was rejected, he tried to go on a rampage, with Kami as the first target. Kami, along with help from his predecessor, had succeeded in banishing him forever, to another dimension. Piccolo did remember something, about Garlic having a son however.

"Damn it!" Growled Piccolo. "Garlic's son, he wants the dragonballs!"

While Piccolo was in shock, Sansho and Nicky quickly rushed him. Before he had the chance to prepare himself, Sansho delivered a powerful blow to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He then tossed Piccolo up in the air, where Nicky intercepted, and slammed an elbow into his head, sending him flying straight into the ground at breakneck speed. The impact knocked Piccolo unconscious, and blasted a crater over a dozen yards in diameter, into the ground.

Descending quickly, they landed right next to Piccolo's unconscious form. After rummaging through his clothing for a moment, Nicky managed to find the dragon-ball.

"That was too easy, would you say Sansho?" remarked Nicky causally.

"Hahahahaha, indeed it was. Kind of pathetic if you ask me, if this guy was one of the strongest, then the rest should be nothing." Sansho said merrily.

"Now, all we have to do is for Ginger to get the last one. He should have it within the hour, lets bring this one back to lord Garlic. The sooner we bring it to him, the sooner he gets his wish." Nicky said, to which Sansho curtly nodded.

Promptly, they blasted off into the distance, towards the castle where Garlic was at.

* * *

><p>Quickly. Ginger ran through the forest, rapidly approaching the Son residence.<p>

Goku, at the time was out fishing; Chi Chi and her father, the Ox-King were outside in the yard with Gohan. Suddenly, Ginger appeared right in the middle of the group. Before anyone could even process what was happening, he charge forward and slammed the Ox-King into the ground, face first.

"Dad!" screamed Chi Chi. "Gohan run!" She yelled, as she charged the assailant. Easily, he leaned to the side and avoided her punch; then he turned and extended his hand, and launched a violent kiai, sending her flying several yards backwards.

"Mommy!" cried Gohan, who was to stunned to move from his spot.

"Go-Gohan, run." the Ox-King whispered. At that, Gohan took off, as fast as he could. Ginger smirked at this, and darted after him seconds later.

He quickly appeared in front of Gohan, and easily knocked him out with a well placed jab to the stomach. Then he snatched up Gohan's hat, and ripped off the dragon-ball that was attached to it. For a moment he considered taking the boy, but thought better of it. Garlic would have no use for the kid anyway. All he wanted was the dragon-ball, the kid would be useless baggage.

At that he smirked, by now Sansho and Nicky must have claimed the other remaining one, and should have made it back to Garlics lair. Throwing a final glance backward, he quickly bolted off through the forest.

...

Meanwhile, Goku, who had been catching a fish some distance away, had heard his wife and son screaming. Along with it was a strong, menacing power. Quickly, he leaped out of the water, fish in tow, and threw on his clothing.

Just a few hundred feet from where his wife was laying, Goku finally dropped the giant fish he was dragging. Goku rushed towards Chi Chi's fallen form, and cradled her head on his lap.

"Chi Chi, what happened here?" he said, concern and worry present in his voice.

Slowly she stuttered out, "I-I'm s-sorry Goku. I tri-ed to protect him, he ran, but this, thing, ran off...a-after him. I don't know if it took him..."

Gently, he sat her down. "I'll find him Chi Chi, I think I sensed where he ran off to." At that, he quickly ran off, in the direction he had sensed that strange power, and Gohan run off to. Only a few seconds later, he found Gohan lying on the ground. After checking him over, he was relieved to find that his son was for the most part, unharmed. His relief didn't last too long however, when he saw the four-star ball-the one _his _grandfather had given him-, missing. Who ever did this, they would pay. That, Goku thought, he would see to personally.

Just then, he felt a familiar energy signal coming from behind him. Instinctively he whirled around, only to see Piccolo hovering in mid-air. His clothing was burned in places, and he had several cuts and bruises. Whatever, or whoever this was, had likely attacked Piccolo as well. That meant that their was more than just one, and they had to be pretty strong, to get the drop on Piccolo like they did.

Grunting, Piccolo looked down at Goku, before speaking, "Looks like I'm not the only one who had a run in with those bastards. And by the looks of it, I'd say they were after the dragon-ball that Goh-I mean, your son had." After seeing Goku nod fiercely in confirmation, he continued, "I think I know who we are dealing with. Seems like these goons are not good at keeping secrets. Get those idiots all taken care of, then meet me right back here. You might want to try and get the bald midget too, we're going to need all the help we can get if my guess is correct..."

...

...

* * *

><p><em>**AN: I know DBZ takes place in a completely different universe, with wildly different things. So on can no specify a precise point in time, with all the anachronisms that are around. But, if there is one thing that can be agreed upon, iit is that the Earth there is decades, if not centuries ahead of ours in a great many ways. Which, if anyone remembers Piccolo's nightmare/flashback from Daimao's life, from the last chapter, is why cars and other such tech exist despite it being 300 years or so prior. Think of that point as an analogue for the 1960s or so, and present as the DBZ verse version of the 2260s or so._

_But to the point, because of, well everything, being better is because the world is so much more futuristic. Better medicine, genetics, diet etc. mean that the average human life span in this world is roughly 120-130 years. Maximum lifespan is still normally around 140, but the point is that people age slower. So by saying that Nicky appeared to be in his eighties, he really looked like someone in their fifties in this world. _

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Goku: 919 (Sleep deprived): 887

Piccolo: 921

Gohan: 25 (Slight anger boost): 107

**_Garlic Jr. Mini_**_** saga**:_

Piccolo (Heavily suppressed, with weighted clothing): 250 (Powered up slightly): 340

Nicki (Suppressed): 225 (Powered up): 325

Sansho (Suppressed): 217 (Powered up): 320

Ginger (Heavily suppressed): 285

Chi-Chi: 125

Ox-King: 90

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><p><em>Beta read by <em>lilpumpkingirl. <em>_

_Read and Review, I accept all kinds of opinions on my work, and any constructive criticism or advice would be greatly appreciated._


	3. Dead Zone

**Disclaimer:**

_**Dragonall, Dragonball Z and all its copyrights are owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine, nothing more.**_

_A/N: Again, I do apologize for the amount of time it took to post this chapter, but I have had a lot going on. Plus, it's obviously a monster, at 20k words._

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><p>After he quickly nodded to Piccolo, Goku picked up Gohan and ran back to check on his wife and father in-law. By the time he had gotten to them, the Ox-King had already climbed to his feet and was helping Chi Chi to stand.<p>

Other than some heavy bruising, both appeared to be relatively unharmed. Considering the circumstances, they had gotten quite lucky.

From what Goku had felt of the being that had attacked them, it had been strong enough to dispatch all of them, with little to no effort. But its goal was, or had at least seemed to be to get its hands on the dragon ball Gohan had.

Once he made sure that they were all back inside the house safely, and that nothing else was in the area, he began trying to contact Master Roshi telepathically. That was another technique he was thankful that he had been taught, because he was sure that he wouldn't have enough time to fly all the way out to Kami house and back.

…It was a typical day for Master Roshi. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he had passed out on his couch, with his TV tuned into a rather risqué channel. So needless to say, hearing Goku's voice all of a sudden booming inside of his head greatly startled him. Enough so that he ended up flipping the couch over onto its back, he himself going along for the ride.

_"My god Goku, how many times do I have to tell you NOT to do that!"_ Master Roshi practically screamed telepathically. _"You nearly gave me a heart attack!"_

_"I'm sorry Master Roshi. But this is really important._" Goku "_said_" back.

_"What seems to be the problem?"_ Master Roshi questioned. It must have been quite serious for Goku to contact him in such a manner.

Continuing, Goku replied, _"Someone else is after the dragon balls. Whoever it was, they attacked Chi Chi and the Ox-King, then went after Gohan. They're all okay, but the dragon ball, the one Grampa Gohan gave me before he died, was taken. And I guess they attacked Piccolo too because he is here and-""Piccolo! What does he have to do with this?"_ Master Roshi suddenly interrupted. Last he knew, those two were bitter enemies, then again...Goku seemed to think he wasn't entirely evil...

_"I don't know honestly, but he thinks he knows who is behind all this. I'll explain later, right now you need to get Krillin and tell him to get here as fast as he can!"_

It really must be bad, Master Roshi thought to himself. If it was something that could actually make Piccolo want to team up with Goku, then he had no place wasting time by questioning him.

_"I'll get him right now!"_ thought Roshi rather hastily.

_"Thank you, Master. "_ and with that, the connection disappeared. Not wanting a single second to go to waste, Master Roshi rushed outside, pants falling down to his ankles, nearly tearing the door of its hinges as he threw it open.

"Krillin, no time for questions. But Goku needs your help, he said to meet him at his home, and to get there as quickly as possible." Master Roshi yelled to Krillin, who was just about to take a break from a rather intense training session.

…

A few hundred yards away from his house, Goku found Piccolo, who was stranding with his back to him.

"So Piccolo, you say that you think you know who did this, right?" Goku stated rather curiously.

With a scowl on his face, Piccolo nodded, "Yes I do. Not long ago I found a dragon ball, and decided to keep it. I really could care less about the damn things, but I thought it would be wise, to keep anyone else from getting their hands on all of them." Clenching his fist in agitation, and turning around to face Goku, he continued, "To the point, it turned out to be a good idea. These two goons showed up, obviously looking for it. They were weaklings, at least next to us, but they got lucky and caught me off guard."

"So they managed to take it then?" Goku half asked. He knew the answer to that, but for some reason he felt it necessary to ask anyway.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Piccolo snarled, "Of course they did, you moron! I wouldn't have came all the way out here for nothing!"

For a second he had the sudden urge to just haul off and punch Goku square in the face, for asking such a foolish question; fortunately he was able to keep his cool, but the thought of doing so caused a thin smile to form on his lips all the same.

"At any rate, the person responsible is known as Garlic Jr. I heard that much from the fools that attacked me, the bastards weren't smart enough to keep that to themselves."

Noting Goku's rather blank expression when he mentioned the name, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Of _course_ he would have to inform the dolt on that detail as well.

"Obviously you have no idea who that is, and somehow that just doesn't surprise me. I'll make this as simple as possible, so hopefully that brain of yours can manage to process it." Piccolo smirked briefly, but as he went on a grimace overtook his face.

"You know that Daimao and Kami used to be one being many centuries ago. Not long before they split, Kami's predecessor was about to choose a successor to be the earth's guardian. It came down to Kami, and Garlic. The guardian saw a great, deep seated evil in Garlics heart, and refused to relinquish the position to someone so vile. Instead, it was Kami that was chosen. Obviously Garlic didn't take that kindly to being passed over so quickly, and quickly called up a vast army of demons from hell itself to take the role by force. He went after Kami first, blinded by his own jealously over not being chosen. He came very close to killing Kami, but the old guardian interceded, and together they destroyed the demon army and banished Garlic to the blackest depths of hell, never to be able to return to the mortal realm."

Cutting in suddenly, Goku asked, "So if he was locked away, who is this that is trying to find the dragon ball then?"

"God damn it, I was getting to that part, before you interrupted me!" Piccolo snapped back. He took a deep breath, with a vein bulging near his temple.

"Anyway, Garlic had a son. No one had heard anything from him in over three hundred years, so he was eventually forgotten about, and with Kami casting Daimao aside soon after Garlic's imprisonment, any worries about Garlic Jr. were pushed to the back of everyone's mind as _that_ monster ravaged the world." he said, his tone becoming condescending as he referenced his sire.

With sweat beading down his face from worry, Goku had one concern he needed addressed, "That sounds terrible, Piccolo. Seems like it was a mistake for him to be overlooked like that…but there is one problem, how in the world are we supposed to find him, when we can't even sense where he is?"

At that Piccolo nearly face vaulted. While he had managed to regain full consciousness a few seconds after they had taken the dragon ball, and was able to sense the direction they flew off in, it still gave him next to nothing on where exactly they were going.

And having Goku of all people inadvertently point out such a major oversight, greatly angered him. Much as it pained him to admit it, Goku had a valid point though.

"Well, I-", at that point Piccolo cut himself off, eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. Goku had a similar look on his face as well, and for good reason. It was the sky, it was transforming right before their very eyes. It was rapidly growing darker with every passing second. And that meant only one thing, The Eternal Dragon was being summoned!

"Shit!" they exclaimed, nearly in unison. Piccolo thought they would have a bit more time than this, but luck wasn't on their side with this one. Apparently, those bastards had already collected all the others, and the ones taken from Goku and himself were the last two to be found. So now the time for talk was over. There was a silver lining that they now knew Garlic's location, as the dragon balls emitted a very powerful, and distinctive energy signature upon being activated. But it did them no good, considering that this was what they wanted to prevent from happening in the first place.

Each quickly looked at the other, exchanging nervous glances. They then sped off, as fast as they could to where they felt the energy coming from. Since it wasn't _that_ far away, each held a faint hope that they might be able to arrive in time to stop a wish from being made.

* * *

><p>When Sansho and Nicky had brought him the sixth ball, and Garlic Jr had been quite thrilled, at first. But after nearly twenty minutes of waiting for Ginger to arrive with the final one, his anticipation was starting to drive him crazy. He had spent so much time, many months locating ever one of them, but it was the final minutes that he found the most unbearable. But he trusted Ginger with this task, and that was the only thing that allowed him to retain some semblance of calm.<p>

Right as he was about to leap to his feet and begin another rant, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Turning around, he saw Ginger quickly approaching him, and suddenly all his prior aggravation had melted away. His goal was now in plain sight, and now he could hardly contain the sheer amount of joy he felt.

Quickly. with the utmost respect, Ginger calmly presented him with the final dragon ball. As Garlic took it into his hand, he was overtaken by a fit of maniacal laughter.

When the fit subsided, he spoke up, "This is stupendous, excellent work Ginger. As for you, Sansho and Nicky, you did well too, but you still have much to learn from Ginger here. But in light of this monumental accomplishment, I will over look your imperfections."

After all seven had been gathered in the court yard, Garlic stood, mere feet away, with a satisfied look on his face. This was it, thanks to these, all of his plans were going to come to fruition. He would rule the earth, no, the entire universe, forever!

Grinning like a maniac he threw his hands in the air, before exclaiming, "Rise from your slumber, Eternal Dragon, to grant my wish!" Suddenly a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, as he realized how cliche he sounded. But when a violent bolt of lightening erupted from the dragon balls, and shot high into the clouds, he knew he had succeed. Quickly the sky began to darken, as the lightening arced all around. Slowly, the form of the Dragon, Shenron, took shape. And Garlic would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn't impressed, he knew many of the legends surrounding the dragons appearance, but what he saw vastly exceeded any of his expectations. For several minutes, he stared up and the great beast, completely awestruck.

Shenron, however did not appreciate having his time wasted in such a way. "Why have you summoned me here? Speak now mortal, so that I may return to my slumber." The dragon's booming voice briefly startled him, but very quickly Garlic regained his composure.

"Dragon, I wish you to grant me, immortality!"

For several seconds Shenron did nothing, as if contemplating whether he even had the power to grant a wish of such monumental proportions. After what felt like hours, the Dragon's eyes suddenly grew bright red. Right then, an intense beam of light engulfed Garlic, enveloping his entire being an a blazing white hot aura. For the first second, every single fiber of his being felt as if it had been set alight. Then, as quickly as it came, the pain vanished. There was no sudden bliss, or rush of power; it was something completely different. It was a feeling unlike any other he had ever felt, completely indescribable.

"Your wish has been granted!" the mighty dragon boomed. "I will now return to rest. Farewell!" With that, the dragons body transformed into a beam of light, and returned to the dragon balls, which flashed brightly for a moment; before scattering to the far reaches of the world.

For a few seconds there was nothing but silence in the palace courtyard. Then Garlic, having gotten over his initial shock of facing the dragon, began chuckling darkly. Chuckling which quickly erupted into a full blown fit of laughter, with Ginger, Sansho and Nicky quickly following suit.

After motioning to the others for silence, he began calling out to all the evil in the world, spirits and demons that had long been dormant.

"People of this world, and all who reside in the world beyond, here my voice now!"

"I, Garlic Junior shall rule over all. I summon forth all evil spirits, weak and mighty alike, to arise and take on their corporeal forms once more." All around the world, as if taking his orders at face value, evil spirits begin to rise.

"You are free once more to ravage the world! A dark age unlike any before it has finally begun! Vengeance will be mine. Let all who live, and even those in the realm beyond fear my wrath! May this world be drenched in the blood of the noble and righteous! Now that eternal life is mine, my rule will be everlasting! All creatures will obey my every command, or perish. With the power I posses, my reign of terror will last to the end of time, and beyond!"

Cackling to himself, he turned to face his three cohorts. "Now that I am immortal, I have nothing to fear. Age and disease were never a problem to me before, but now I am impervious to all, nothing can kill me now!" he said in a tone that seemed to be bordering on madness. Suddenly he frowned and clenched his fist. "I will avenge my fathers loss, by destroying all of our enemies. Then I will rule over this realm, and all others, forever."

Before he could make another move, a bright, golden trail of energy surged downward from the heavens themselves. And only a few meters from where Garlic was standing, it smashed into the ground like a bolt of lightening, nearly knocking him off his feet entirely.

As the energy settled, and the smoke began to clear, Garlic could easily make out a humanoid silhouette standing in the midst of it all. Almost instantly the realization hit him, and a twisted smile slowly crept across his pale face.

"Well then, you must be Kami. I really must say, I've been dying to finally meet you." he said, his utter disregard and contempt for the guardian clearly showing through in his tone. Behind him, his three minions snickered at the comment.

"Garlic Junior...I should have known something like this was bound to happen. And it appears I didn't arrive in time to stop your wish, but all the same I will put an end to whatever it is that you are planning." Kami said, while shooting Garlic a fierce glare.

It took a lot for Garlic from laughing right in the old fool's face. "Stop me? Even if you could have before, which I very much doubt, you have absolutely no hope now, I cannot die!"

At this Kami's eyes went wide for a second, as it started to dawn on him exactly what Garlics wish may have entailed. But he still kept his calm demeanor, his resolve unshaken.

"In fact, it would seem you have made one thing a bit easier for me. At first I was a bit uncertain as to how I was going to get to you on that damned lookout, but in coming here, you saved me a lot of trouble, along with hastening your own death of course."

With that said, Garlic smirked menacingly.

In an almost sad tone, Kami spoke, "It's pity, your are exactly like your miserable fool of a father."

"I'm what?" Garlic said, nearly taken aback by Kami's bold words.

"There is a saying, the apple does not fall far from the tree...You know exactly what I'm getting at, Garlic Junior. And much like you have chosen the same path as him, your outcome will also be the same. You will fail, just as your father did before you!" Kami spoke with sudden bitterness.

Suddenly livid, Garlic clenched both fists tightly. "How dare you! You are nothing, if it weren't for that wretched predecessor of yours, my father would have destroyed you like the insect you were, and taken his rightful place as the ruler of this world!" he spat.

Then with little apparent warning, he lunged towards Kami.

* * *

><p>As the sky returned to it's normal color, and the dark clouds faded away, Goku and Piccolo were struck with an immediate sense of dread. The wish had no doubt been made, and though they were within minutes of their destination, the fact remained that they weren't able to stop Garlic in time. But this only served to spur them further on.<p>

Another alarming issue quickly presented itself, and for one of the two warriors, it was especially worrisome. Kami. Both of them could sense his ki very easily, and judging from the elevated levels of his ki, and Garlic Junior's, it seemed that a fight could break out at any second. Both knew that likely wouldn't bode well for Kami. Garlic's power was higher by pretty hefty margin, and even then it seemed as if he was holding back the bulk of his power. Even the very nature of his ki seemed off, it was unlike anything they had ever sensed before. It reeked of evil and malevolence, but there was something more too it, that had them on edge. It was unlike any ki they had ever sense from any living being. Both guessed, that it probably had something to do with the wish that was made, so it was all the more urgent that they get there as fast as possible. Even though he was outmatched in raw power, Kami had lived a very long life, and was well versed in a variety of fighting styles; far more so than his frail appearance suggested. That alone gave them hope that he would be able to hold the monster off, at least long enough for them to arrive and then put an end to him.

Still, it was a grave matter, if Kami was to die, there would be no more dragon balls. On top of that, it would mean Piccolo's death as well, as he and Kami were connected by a single life-force.

* * *

><p>So far Kami had been lucky. Garlic was powerful, but he lacked the wisdom and experience that Kami had spent a lifetime gathering. He was very rash and impulsive, and easily blinded by rage. This was the primary reason that that he had fared as well as he did.<p>

But Garlic was not a complete fool, Kami knew that much, so he knew not to make the mistake of underestimating him. At least, not again.

Very narrowly, Kami avoided a thin beam of ki that had been aimed at his chest. It had still grazed his arm, the searing pain and scent of burning flesh were evidence of that. Before he had much time to react, Garlic was practically in his face, fist poised to strike. Fortunately, he was able to quickly reach out and fire a small ki blast into Garlic's chest, staggering him for a moment. He used what precious time he had, and hastily leaped several hundred feet backwards. He knew it would do little good, but he needed to keep as much distance between himself and Garlic as possible, fighting him close up for very long would be suicide.

Quicker than he expected, Garlic had recovered. Worse still, was the wicked grin plastered on his face. Almost faster than his eyes could follow, Garlic had closed the gap between them, and swiftly fired a kiai into Kami's stomach. The attacked blasted Kami backwards for several hundred feet, till he slammed into one of the palace pillars.

Immediately afterward, he felt two rather large powers headed his way. So, thinking that Kami was already down for the count, he turned to face his subordinates.

"Nicky, Sansho!" he barked out. "We have a couple of guests on their way here, I think you should go and...welcome them. Ginger, you are to remain here for now."

Smiling viciously, Nicky and Sansho quickly headed off to deal with the intruders.

As soon as they were well out of sight, Garlic remembered that he still had Kami to deal with. But as he figured, the blow he dealt the decrepit old fool should have put him down for quite a while. So he was quite surprised when he turned his head in the direction Kami had been blasted in, only to find that the bastard was nowhere to be seen.

"What the!" Garlic exclaimed. "How did he manage to-" he was quickly cut off when two beams, fired from Kami's eyes, tore into his back. Seething in anger he spun around in the direction of the surprise assault.

Several meters away, Kami stood facing Garlic. He was breathing heavily, and leaning on his staff for support. But aside from being severely bruised, and having his clothing torn in several places, he still had a lot of fight left in him.

Garlic however, was seething. "You...you will pay for that!" he growled out. A second later, a wicked grin slowly formed on his lips. "But killing you would be nothing, you can barely even stand now, pathetic. It will be so much more satisfying to draw out your death"

"It is never wise to underestimate an opponent, I thought even you would gave known that." Kami wheezed. He knew that he had no real chance of stopping Garlic, but anything he could do to stall for time would be of the utmost importance. Goku and Piccolo were very close, he could clearly sense that much, but with Garlic having sent two of his followers of to intercept them, it would no doubt prolong their arrival. While he had little doubt that they could defeat those two, dealing with them would none the less still waste precious time.

Smirking at Kami's statement, Garlic opened his mouth and fired a blast straight toward him. Thinking quickly, Kami focused his energy into his staff, and used it to dispel Garlic's blast.

For a moment, Garlic was a bit surprised that Kami had blocked that attack so easily, but quickly shook the feeling off. Wrinkling his nose, he glared over to Kami. "Well then, what a pleasant surprise, I suppose you still have some fight left in you after all." Narrowing his eyes, he went on, "Which will make grinding you into dust all the more pleasurable."

* * *

><p>It had already started, they could feel the battle plain as day between Kami and Garlic Junior. So far, Kami seemed to be holding on well enough, all things considered. But each know that the old man could not possibly keep it up much longer, Garlic was just too strong.<p>

In the distance, Goku and Piccolo could see what appeared to be a massive castle, or at least the ruins of one. With only a few miles left to go, the two were stopped dead in their tracks when a volley of ki blasts blazed past them. Once the air was clear, two figures could clearly be seen hovering a few meters in front of them. Goku had no idea who they were, but Piccolo instantly recognized them as the two who had ambushed and stole the dragon ball from him. The thought of getting revenge on those fools caused a tiny smirk to form on his lips.

"I'm afraid that is as far as you two will be going." the smaller one, known as Nicky said. "Lord Garlic is a bit, busy at the moment, and is not exactly accepting visitors. So, myself and Sansho here will _entertain_ you in his stead." He then remembered something, the green guy with the turban and cape, he was the one that Sansho and himself had taken that dragon ball from. He almost felt worried for a moment, but quickly brushed it aside. He, or Piccolo rather, had been easy enough to defeat earlier, and they hadn't even had to show their true power. So even with the help of that spiky haired man he had brought, Nicky figured that he and Sansho would have little trouble.

"Look, I don't know who you two guys are, and I honestly don't care. But I'm afraid we don't have time for distractions, so if you get out of our way, no one would have to get hurt." Goku started off, in an attempt to reason with the two. When he was met with nothing but laughter from them, he couldn't say he was all that surprised.

Still chuckling, Sansho replied, "Us get hurt? You don't know who you're talking to if you think you can threaten us. Your green friend over there could tell you that much."

The response irked Piccolo a bit, but he managed to keep a calm facade.

"Wait a minute, are these the ones you were talking about then, the ones who took that dragon ball from you?" Goku asked bluntly. "Cause they really don't seem all that strong, to be honest."

Ignoring the comment for the moment, Piccolo just grunted in response. He then turned to Goku. "You go on ahead, I have a little..._ score_ to settle with these two bastards first. I'll meet with you, once I've disposed of these pests." Piccolo said quietly, earning baffled looks from Garlic's freakish minions.

Not wanting to waste anytime questioning him, and having confidence that Piccolo would be fully capable of handling them, Goku quickly powered up and blasted towards the castle.

Both Sansho and Nicky started off after him, but were both quickly cut off by Piccolo. "Oh no. Your business is with me, not him. And, I believe I have a little bit of an issue to settle with you guys." Piccolo growled out, while cracking his neck.

Smirking, Nicky glanced at Sansho, then to Piccolo again. "You must really be stupid, we beat you into the ground before, what makes you think this will be any different?" He then licked his lips, before continuing, "Except of course, this time we don't have to worry about not killing you."

"Hmph. You two don't have a clue what your getting yourselves into, let me tell you that much right now," taunted Piccolo while smirking deviously. "So lets see if you can even offer me a challenge before I send the both of you to hell."

For a moment the two hesitated, actually unnerved by Piccolo's confident tone. A thing that was not lost on on the green man; he picked up on their apprehension instantly, and though he showed no outward signs, he actually enjoyed seeing the subtle amount of fear they displayed. And as evil as they were, Piccolo felt no guilt about what was going to happen to them. In fact, such thoughts were rather pleasing to him.

In a few seconds, their confidence had returned. Both glared at Piccolo, then phased out of sight, and bolted off in two different directions; intending to replicate their previous strategy and overwhelm Piccolo from both sides. At this, Piccolo cracked his knuckles and entered a fighting stance.

* * *

><p>Skidding to a stop in the palace courtyard, Goku clearly sensed that Kami and Garlic's fight had moved to the interior of the castle. A sudden explosion from inside-which caused the entire foundation to shake violently- confirmed it. So far Kami's ki had been fairly steady, but Goku knew he didn't have a lot of time.<p>

Before he had a chance to act, he was blindsided by a boot to the face, which sent him tearing though several of the pillars within the courtyard. With only a bloody lip to show for it, he was back on his feet in an instant. Quickly wiping the blood off, he saw a figure hovering less than a hundred feet away from him. He recognized the ki signature almost right away, it felt exactly like the one that had attacked his family, and had stolen the dragon ball from his son.

Clenching his fist, Goku narrowed his eyes at the fiend. "You! You're the one who hurt my family. You made a pretty big mistake with that one though, because I'm going to make you pay for it!" he shouted to the creature. Truthfully, he normally did not like the idea of revenge. But when it came to his loved ones, he could make exceptions to the general rule.

At this, Ginger laughed quietly to himself. "Fool. You should be lucky I was generous enough to spare their lives. But no matter, because your fate will be far worse than theirs was, for unlike them you won't be leaving here, not alive at least. I, Ginger will personally see to it that my master Garlic, doesn't have to lift a finger to swat an insect like you."

"Lets see what you got then..." Goku replied back, egging him on. "I mean, you act tough, but can you back it up?"

Finally getting the message, Ginger grinned and charged Goku. Without batting an eye, Goku caught the punch aimed at his face with little challenge. Then, before Ginger could react, Goku kicked him square in the jaw, sending him soaring skyward.

After gaining back control, Ginger glared icily back down at Goku, before firing dozens of ki blasts at Goku. Gleefully he watched as they all exploded upon contact. To his own shock, when the smoke had started to clear, he saw Goku hovering a few meters off the ground, arms crossed in front of him, with hardly a scratch on his person.

Angrily, he blasted toward his opponent, only to have Goku gracefully leap to the side when he aimed a punch at his face.

For nearly a minute it went on this way, with Ginger attacking relentlessly, and Goku avoiding all the blows that were being thrown his way. Finally, Ginger got lucky and scored a kick to Goku's face, which sent him spinning backwards for several meters. His joy was short lived when he saw Goku wipe the blood away and smirk,

"Not bad, now it's my turn."

Phasing out of Gingers line of sight, Goku appeared next to him and delivered a swift blow to the back of his head knocking him off balance. He then let loose a flurry of punches and kicks, battering his opponent from all sides. After kneeing him in the stomach, Goku followed up by slamming his elbow into the base of Gingers skull, sending him plowing face first into the ground. After a moment, Ginger rose, pushing rather large rock off to the side. His breathing was ragged, and he already had several wounds that were bleeding profusely.

Goku slowly descended, till he was just a few meters away. "I really think you should give up now. If this is the best you can do, then there is no reason to continue this fight."

"Give up? No, I will not let lord Garlic down!" he bellowed.

"Suite yourself then, but don't say I didn't give you the chance to back down." Goku said as he got back into his fighting stance.

"Now you will see the glory of my true power, second only to lord Garlic's. Ginger Bread!" he screamed. Suddenly, his entire body grew several inches, with his muscles expanding to outrageous proportions. Along with that, his power also shot up.

_What the hell, he said that and his power went way up. This might be more of a challenge than I thought... _Goku knew he was going to have to be more careful now, and end this as fast as possible. From what this guy said, Garlic was even stronger, so he would couldn't afford to use to much energy against this guy. All the same, the fighting such a powerful opponent was very exciting indeed.

...

...

Neatly, Piccolo weaved around the larger of his opponents, and slammed a boot into the side of the creatures head, sending him spiraling off into the distance. Without missing much of a beat, he turned and easily caught a punch from the other. Grinning, he slammed his forehead into the mans face, knocking him backwards as blood leaked from his wounded nose.

He then spun and fired a small crimson blast at the hideous one. Clearly caught off guard, Sansho fired a blast of his own to cancel it out. Unfortunately for him, the force of the explosion knocked him back several hundred feet, and right into a right hook from Piccolo.

The two hastily regrouped, hovering back to back. Piccolo calmly phased in front of them, smirking. He had yet to even break a sweat against the two, while they were covered in cuts and burns, each breath requiring noticeable effort.

"Seems you two are not all that strong, not when you don't have the element of surprise on your side. Pathetic." Scowling, he pressed further, "In fact, if what I've seen so far from you is all you can do, then I will be on my way. After I wipe your hideous forms from the living realm, of course."

Glancing at each other fearfully, Sansho and Nicky nodded quickly.

"Tutti-Frutti!"

"Cheese!"

"What in the hell are you morons babbling about-" Piccolo said, before cutting himself off. After they shouted out that nonsense, both grew significantly larger, their ki also increasing by a rather hefty margin. Piccolo smiled at that. _So that is their true power, to bad for them, they still don't stand a chance. _The blue one then did something that seemed rather disturbing, even to one such as Piccolo. He seemed to pull a rather large, scythe like weapon from his own body. That might make things a bit more interesting.

He then noticed something else, something those idiots had seemingly missed. Another ki was also approaching the castle Garlic was in, and Piccolo knew that individual all to well. It was _Krillin_, one of Goku's "friends". Snorting at that, he was still glad to have the bald midgets help. What he lacked in power, he made up for in resourcefulness. And with Goku seemingly occupied, he might be the only one who could get to Kami in time.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he was forced to avoid the one wielding the scythe. Had he even been a fraction of a second slower, that thing would have taken his head off. The small cut on his cheek was a testament to that.

Thinking quickly, he ducked under Nicky, and planted a foot into the small of his back, sending him sprawling. Glancing to his right, he narrowly avoided a blow to the face from Sansho. Before Sansho could recover, Piccolo formed small orb if ki in his hand and fired it at him. To his credit, the behemoth tried to hold the attack at bay, but was quickly forced down. Right as he slipped below the tree line, Piccolo smirked, then detonated the blast. He knew it wouldn't be enough to finish him off, but it would be more than enough time to deal with the other, more pressing threat.

But right as he turned, Nicky was upon him. He managed to avoid being cleaved in two, but at the cost of his left arm. Holding the bleeding stump, he glared up at Nicky.

Upon seeing the damage he had inflicted, Nicky smiled sadistically. "Whats the matter friend? Bet you wish someone was here to, lend you a helping hand hahahahaha." For a moment he continued chuckling at his own stale joke. But when Piccolo smirked up at him, he felt his blood run cold.

"Actually, I think I can manage just fine on my own." Removing his hand suddenly, Piccolo began grunting loudly, as veins bulged all over his body. Suddenly, a new arm sprouted out in it's place, covered in what appeared to be an odd mixture of purple blood and slime. At this, Nicky's face absolutely blanched. Even Sansho, who was only a few meters away, stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wha-how the hell did you just do that!" Nicky stammered out. "Just what the hell are you?"

Piccolo grunted in response. Then, unwilling to let any more time go to waste, he rushed forward, an orb of ki already forming in his palm. When he was less than a meter away, he held his glowing palm just inches from Nicky's face. Glaring fiercely, he gathered the final bit of energy needed and let loose a massive crimson blast, completely engulfing Nicky's body in it. The last thing the fiend saw were two, piercing red eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. With one final scream, he was completely disintegrated by the blast. As the smoke cleared, just a few charred embers remained, only to be scattered by the breeze blowing in.

Sansho looked on in absolute horror. "You, yo-your a monster!"

Smirking, Piccolo lowered his hand and phased right in front of him. "You call me a monster...no , you and the bastard I just vaporized are the monsters. Your not even fit to live."

He then kicked Sansho in the jaw, sending him flying upwards. Before he could get to far, Piccolo darted in front of him, clasped both hands together, and smashed him down into the forest below.

As he descended to where the monster landed, what he saw was more gruesome than what he expected. Sansho was still alive, but he had obviously been impaled by a branch through the chest. Apparently he was still conscious, and might very well survive for several more hours like this if left alone. Killing him, would actually be a mercy at this point. If he were his sire, he would have simply left him hanging, till he bled out, relishing in the suffering he would no doubt endure. _And I will NEVER stoop to his level. _Piccolo thought quietly. Before long a small ball of ki formed in his hand, crackling softly. Besides, he couldn't take the chance that he might somehow survive.

Sansho must have known what was coming as well. He glanced up, and with his vision blurring, he could still make out what Piccolo was doing. Thus he resigned himself to his death, and slowly closed his eyes.

"Hmph. As evil as you are, I suppose even you don't deserve to suffer this much. Now, die!" he growled, firing the blast. After making sure his enemy was dead, he paused for a moment. _Son Goku. Something about you must have rubbed off on me, that or it was that spawn of your's. I swear, before I would never have been so merciful._ Shaking his head, he flew up above the tree line, then blasted off toward the castle.

...

...

Even after he had powered up, Goku was still somewhat disappointed by his opponent. While he was actually offering something of a challenge, it was still a losing battle for him.

The fighter across from him was covered head to toe in a myriad of injuries, and was fighting just for each breath of air. Meanwhile, Goku had nothing, other than a few cuts and burns, to show for.

Without warning, Ginger disappeared from his line of sight. But having little trouble sensing his movements, he quickly spun around and caught a punch that had been intended for the back of his skull. Then, kicking away his opponent, he then fired off several small ki blasts in rapid succession. Ginger moved hastily, and avoided most, but a few still struck home. He recovered with enough time to see Goku rushing him, and quickly fired a mouth blast at him.

With a small ki ball, Goku easily knocked the blast off course, sending it flying over the horizon. But when he turned back to face Ginger, he was met with a rather disturbing surprise. Ginger reached back behind each shoulder with both arms, and pulled out two blades, from his own body.

With this new variable, Goku realized that he was going to have to be far more careful, one hit from those and he could lose a limb, or worse. And unlike Piccolo, he couldn't regrow any severed body part. While Ginger was occupied with gloating about the various ways he could cut him apart, Goku sensed another person, approaching at the castle from the opposite direction. He smiled when he realized who it had to be, Krillin. And he couldn't have picked a better time to show up, considering how desperate Kami's predicament was getting.

He found himself needing to spin to the side, to avoid being beheaded. For that one moment he focused his attention else where, Ginger was given the perfect opportunity to strike.

Goku quickly got into a fighting stance, only to see a lock of hair fall, a reminder of just how close he had come to being decapitated. _Got to end this quick, might not get so lucky next time._

The next second Ginger was already poised to strike his mid section, but right before he could strike, Goku flared his aura, blowing him back several dozen feet. He then felt two ki's vanish, one after the other. The two Piccolo had been fighting were gone, and now he was already on his way. With that in mind, Goku resolved to end the fight, right away.

Dodging another swipe, Goku spun around and slammed his elbow into Ginger's side. He winced when he felt the blade nick his arm, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Putting both hands in front of him, he fired a powerful kiai right into Gingers side, causing him to hurtle towards the ground like a rocket.

_Now's my chance!_

Slowly, he cupped his hands, and began gathering the energy for his trade mark attack. As the blue energy started swirling in his palms, he smirked victoriously.

"Ka...me...ha.."

Slowly Ginger pushed himself off the ground, and was horrified at what he saw. None the less, he staked everything on one last ditch gamble, and rushed towards him; intent on cutting him to ribbons before he could finish priming his attack.

This worked perfectly in Goku's favor. Even better, because now he didn't have to worry about his enemy trying to dodge the blast.

"meah...haaaaa!" he roared suddenly, right when Ginger was practically within striking range. All too late, he realized his folly. The blast completely consumed him, and within seconds his entire body was obliterated. Right before the blast hit the ground, Goku used his arms and directed it upward. It kept going till it hit the upper atmosphere, promptly detonating in a colorful,yet ultimately harmless explosion.

Wiping some sweat from above his brow, he looked up and saw Piccolo hovering a few meters away, his typical scowl plastered across his face.

"You certainly took your time disposing of that filth. It's actually quite fortunate that your bald headed arrived when he did, otherwise Kami might not have made it much longer." At that he narrowed his eyes. He didn't like Kami, despite everything, but they were linked in spirit. If Kami died, so would he; and that was something Piccolo didn't plan on anytime soon, and not in such a pathetic way.

Cutting Goku off before he had time to argue, Piccolo went on, "But I think we should get inside that castle, because it would seem that moron may have ended up getting himself way in over his head."

It was at that moment Goku felt it as well, Garlic's ki was increasing at an exponential rate, and was well on it's way to eclipsing both his and Piccolo's. Goku nodded in response, before blasting towards the castle, with Piccolo right on his heels.

...

...

This was certainly not how he had expected his day to go. Krillin hadn't the slightest clue about what was going on, but he knew based on what the old master told him, that it must be truly terrible. Goku and Piccolo...it was bad enough to force them to team up, the thought of facing down a being powerful enough to prompt that terrified him to his very core. Both were far stronger than he after all. But he was not going to let his friend risk his life without doing the same, plus, he still didn't trust Piccolo. He wanted to be there, just in case he tried anything funny.

It had been easy enough to find out where everyone was going, once the dragon was summoned that is. On his way there he sensed Piccolo facing off against two weaker ki's, and it was obvious the fight was completely going in Piccolo's favor. He also sensed Goku battling it out with another, this one was much stronger than the others, but was still weaker than he was by a decent bit. It wasn't his strength that was most alarming, rather it was just how dark its ki felt.

He also quickly sensed another one, this was the strongest of them all. It was Kami that that one seemed to be fighting against, and just by the feel of it, things were not going well.

So he quickly flew around to the other side, so to avoid getting involved in Goku's battle.

Once inside it was a simple matter to locate Kami and his opponent. And it seemed he had arrived just in time, a few more seconds and Kami would have been gone.

* * *

><p>All he saw was Kami lying against a pillar, barely hanging to he cusp of consciousness. The creature, which was even shorter stature than he, resembled some sort of demon.<p>

Right before the monster could deal the fatal blow, Krillin launched himself forward, slamming an elbow into the side of the creatures head, sending him flying across the room and into the far wall.

Stepping to where Kami was lying, he was relieved to see that the guardian was at least fully conscious now. He also didn't appear to be to bad of shape, he was covered in cuts and bruises, but there were no serious wounds, as far as Krillin could see. His ki, while low, was still above a dangerous level, and was holding steady. Still, he had no idea of who he had been fighting against, or why...

Slowly and carefully, he helped the Kami to his feet.

"Kami, what happened here, who did this to you?" Krillin stammered out, out of apprehension for the situation at hand.

"We don't have much time for talk, so I will keep this as brief as I can." Kami said with a cough. Gesturing to the spot Garlic crashed into, he resumed, "The one you just saved me from, his name is Garlic Junior. He is the one behind this entire mess, and must not be taken lightly. He-"

He is then cut off mid sentence by a deafening crash from the other side of the room. From the rubble, Garlic rose, his features contorted in rage.

"You!" he said through gritted teeth. "Impudent little wretch, you will pay dearly for that!"

Suddenly phasing out of sight, he reappeared next to Krillin, fist already cranked back. Raising his arm, Krillin managed to block the blow easily enough. Then gathering his energy, he swung his foot up and caught Garic straight in the jaw, sending him flying towards the ceiling. Right before he hit, he corrected himself, and smirked evilly.

"I hope you don't think your going to win this, you miserable little human. You will see for yourself what I'm truly capable of, why I am to be the ruler over all!"

A black aura then blazed to life around Garlic, and with it, his power began rising at a rapid pace. His body was getting darker, and he was growing larger and larger with each passing second. Already his power had surpassed his own, and only continued to grow. Sweat started beading down his forehead, if it kept increasing like this, he wasn't even sure Goku could win against him.

In a matter of seconds, the transformation was complete, with only a faint glow remaining on his body. Garlic grinned at Krillin like a madman.

"I hope your ready for this, human. I'm going to enjoy slowly, crushing the life from your frail body." His voice was much deeper now, a trait which, combined with his powerful ki, was nothing short of terrifying. Savoring the look on his face for a moment, Garlic quickly rushed toward his opponent.

After fighting back a wave of terror, Krillin quickly got into a fighting stance. He lept aside right before Garlic's first punch could connect, but Garlic had already spun and launched a kick right at his face. He crossed both arms in front of him to block the strike, but still winced as it connected, he swore he felt something crack with that one. Not wanting to leave himself open, he weaved around and fired a blast in Garlic's face, stunning him for a second. Trying to press any advantage he could get, he focused as much power as he could, and launched a powerful kick right at Garlic's head. To his dismay, other than knocking him backwards a couple of feet, the attack had been completely useless. This was confirmed when Garlic turned around, with nothing more than a scuff mark on his face to compliment his irritated expression.

Garlic then scowled and extended his palm, and fired a small blast at Krillin. Trying to keep his cool, he rapidly charged as much energy as he could and fired a blast of his own to cancel it out. Through the smoke left over from the blasts colliding, Garlic lunged forward and delivered a vicious right hook to Krillins cheek, sending the monk barreling towards the ground.

Several seconds later, Krillin forced himself to stand. His clothing was in tatters, and the one arm was probably fractured from the impact. He glanced up at his enemy, who was hovering less than a hundred feet away.

Just as Garlic was preparing to rush him again, two blasts ripped into the side of the castle just a few meters from where Krillin was standing. Goku and Piccolo then quickly flew in, and Krillin couldn't have been more relieved. He was even glad to see Piccolo there, even if he didn't trust him. At the moment, he and Goku were the only ones that might be able to stand against Garlic, and he would much rather deal with Piccolo around than this new threat. Something about Piccolo even seemed different, he didn't have the same dark malevolent feel about him, that he had all those years ago when he fought Goku at the Tournament. It was strange, but he didn't have time to dwell on matters so inconsequential to the current issue.

Scanning the entire chamber, Goku was relieved to see that both Kami and Krillin were not in that bad of shape. But he knew that both of them would be in serious danger if they stayed around for much longer. Judging from the amount of power that was practically radiating off of Garlic. he knew that even with Piccolo's help, it was probably going to be very difficult fight. Looking at Piccolo's expression, it was clear that he was thinking the same.

"Krillin, listen to me. You, and Kami need to get out of here, get as far away as possible." At this, Krillin felt a bit of Déjà vu. It almost the exact same thing he had told him and the others back at the tournament. But damn it all, this was different, and he didn't want to just abandon his best friend against that _thing_.

"No Goku, let me stay and help. I know I'm hurt, but if we all work together maybe-"

"No!" Piccolo suddenly boomed. "As much as I _hate _agreeing with Son here, for once he is right. You barely survived a minute against him, if you could have been of any help to us before, with those injuries you're practically useless. If anything you'd just get in _our_ way."

Piccolo smirked when he saw him shrink back a bit. "Now listen to _your_ friend Son here and leave this bastard to us." "And make sure that senile old fool makes it out alive too, can't have him dying on us."

Nodding nervously, Krillin started running over to where Kami was. At least that hadn't changed. Piccolo was every bit as intimidating now as he ever had been.

Garlic considered stopping his former opponent from fleeing, before deciding it wasn't even worth the trouble. He would have plenty of time to deal with him later. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the two new comers.

"So you are the ones who have been making all this trouble for me." Garlic said. "And thanks to you I lost three of my most loyal followers. The other two I cared little for, but Ginger was irreplaceable." he said while balling his hands into fists. Ginger was the one who had actually taken care of him, considering how young he had been when his father was banished. Not only was he the most powerful and loyal of all his followers, but it was the only being he felt any sense of attachment to. So he was quite enraged to say the least.

"He brought it on himself. They all did. They had a chance give up peacefully, but they gave that right up." Goku said angrily, with a hit of sadness in his voice.

"Enough of this!" Garlic spat. "For interfering in my plans and slaughtering _my _followers, I will rip both of you to shreds with my bare hands!"

Goku and Piccolo quickly got into fighting stances as Garlic came barreling towards them. Goku quickly leaned under a fist that had been aimed at his face. Piccolo darted forward and kicked Garlic square in the jaw. The smirk on his face quickly gave way to utter dismay when he saw that it had virtually no effect on him. He was then smacked backwards roughly by a back hand to the face. Seeing that Garlic was occupied, Goku spun and threw a punch straight into Garlic's ribs, which did little other than earn a grunt of discomfort from him.

Not wanting to leave himself open, Goku did a back flip in mid air and dashed back several meters. Piccolo quickly appeared next to him, but before the two had a chance to make another move, Garlic charged forward arms extended. Not having the time to react, each had an elbow slammed into his face. The force sent them flying backwards, tearing through the castle wall and skidding to a stop in the middle of the courtyard.

After pulling himself from under a pillar, Goku spat out some blood and glanced to Piccolo, who had also managed to dig himself from the rubble.

"Damn it!" "We can't fight him like this, Piccolo." Goku said bitterly.

"Tell me something I _don't _already know, blasted simpleton." growled out Piccolo while tossing his cape and turban aside.

"Crap, why didn't I think of that?" Goku muttered as he hurriedly tossed aside his own weighted gear.

Resisting the sudden urge to bash his head into a wall, Piccolo pinched the bridge of his nose and gave an exasperated sigh at the statement. It boggled his mind, Goku could be absolutely brilliant one moment, only to go on to say something incredibly..._stupid_.

As he was about to make a jab at Goku's intelligence, he spotted Garlic hovering less than a hundred feet above them, glaring downward. Unwilling to leave himself open, he got into a defensive stance. A few feet away, Goku did the same.

"You think shedding a few pounds worth of clothing will help you win against me?" spoke Garlic as a grin began forming on his lips." You're both fools, you'll never be able to defeat me, no one can. In case you don't get it, I cannot be killed!"

_Arrogant bastard._ Piccolo thought to himself, dismissing it as overconfidence. In the back of his mind, there was an inkling of doubt, that maybe Garlic _wasn't _bluffing, but for the moment he did his best to ignore it. Goku felt a bit more apprehensive, as he briefly thought of what Garlic may have wished for. Outwardly, he kept a calm demeanor, and shot Garlic a rather arrogant smirk.

"Well don't think we're going to make this easy for you." He said, earning a glare from Garlic.

With the weighted clothing no longer restricting his and Piccolo's power and movement, they were no longer at such a disadvantage. And from what he had seen, it seemed that the majority of Garlic's ki was focused on making him stronger, and his speed had suffered as a result. So as far as Goku figured, as long as they could keep a few steps ahead, and not allow him a chance to pin either of them down, they could win this. Power meant little if one could not first catch their opponent.

Piccolo cracked his neck, then smirked. "He's not _that_ much stronger than we are now, and his speed is pathetic." he said, obviously thinking along the same lines as Goku. "And we have him out numbered." "Now, pay attention and follow my lead. That is, if you think you can keep up." he taunted, adding the last bit as a challenge.

Goku nodded his head, and smirked at Piccolo for a moment. Quickly Piccolo phased out of sight, appearing in front of Garlic with a blast already charged. Garlic managed to smack the incoming blast to the side with little difficulty, only to feel the stinging rush of heat from another colliding with his back.

He spun around angrily, and narrowly avoided a right hook from Goku. Seething, he quickly aimed one of his own at Goku's face. To his surprise, Goku extended both hands and managed to catch his fist.

Straining, Goku manged to slowly push Garlic's bulky arm away. Noticing that his opponent wasn't completely focused, he suddenly shoved him backwards, staggering him for the moment. Thinking he had the upper hand, he rushed in and prepared to drive his foot into Garlic's chest. Before he could make contact, Garlic caught Goku's leg mid swing, and slung him high up into the sky. Before he could follow up, he was forced to parry a barrage of punches and kicks from Piccolo. After avoiding several blows, he finally caught a kick to the side of his head, knocking him several meters away. Upon recovering, he saw that Piccolo was right on him, but before he could follow through with anything, Garlic flared his ki and backhanded Piccolo sharply, sending him crashing into the ground several hundred feet away.

Garlic then directed his gaze skyward, with Goku nowhere to be found. Feeling a presence behind him, he spun and blocked a punch from Goku. The two quickly entered a fierce melee exchange, going back and forth above the castle. With Goku being slightly faster, he managed to avoid or block most of the attacks that Garlic dished out; but a few still hit home, and Goku winced slightly each time.

Leaning to the left, Goku narrowly dodged a jab that had been aimed at his throat, then spun and delivered a roundhouse kick, catching Garlic right in the middle of his stomach. Gritting his teeth at the pain, Garlic lashed out, grabbing Goku by his face. Before he could do anything further, he was interrupted by the familiar sting of a ki blast hitting him in the back. While it caused him little actual damage, it was becoming an annoyance at how frequently his opponents were doing it.

Noticing that his grip had loosened, Goku slammed an elbow into Garlic's wrist, freeing himself, along with earning an angry growl from Garlic. Looking over the fiends shoulder, he spotted Piccolo, palm still extended from firing the blast, with tendrils of smoke trailing off it.

Not wanting to risk leaving himself open again, Goku sped towards Garlic, only to have Garlic dodge the blow at the last possible second. As he saw Garlic cranking his fist back, he crossed his arms in front of his face to shield himself from the incoming blow, but the action soon proven unnecessary. In less than a second, Piccolo had already sped forward, and delivered a chop to the side of Garlic's head, knocking him several feet sideways.

Before he could completely recover, Goku spun and delivered a kick into the underside of his chin, sending him flying higher into the sky. Piccolo then rushed upwards to intercept him, and slammed an elbow into the top of his head, sending him speeding right back down into the the far side of the castle courtyard.

Upon seeing Garlic climb to his feet, Piccolo raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Damn it, how did he manage to get up so quick?" While he was not surprised to see Garlic climb to his feet, Goku at least thought it would take him a bit longer, or that he would show some sign of injury. Yet other than a few scrapes, Garlic appeared unharmed, which seemed a bit odd considering how much both had put into that combo.

"Fools, how many times do I have to say it, nothing you can do will kill me!" Garlic roared angrily as he glared up at them. Then calming himself, he gave a cocky smirk, before gathering his energy and charging the two again.

Using their shock to his advantage, Garlic fired a blast right into Piccolo's face, knocking him backwards in addition to momentarily blinding him. Turning, he saw Goku simply floating in mid air, hands at his sides. Cackling at his foes perceived helplessness, he rushed in, only to have his fist go clean through Goku. Then, when the image flickered, then vanished, Garlic realized how badly he had been deceived.

Jerking around, he saw that Piccolo too had disappeared.

"Damn it!" "You cowards, show yourselves!" he bellowed. Feeling two distinct presences, he craned his head skyward, and saw the two of them gathering energy, for what looked to be a massive joint attack. Even though he knew he couldn't die, a brief wave of panic overtook him, and he hesitated for a few seconds; then blasted towards them.

Staring down, both Piccolo and Goku realized that they had been spotted.

"Think this will be enough to destroy him?" questioned Goku.

"I think so." Piccolo growled out. A singe bead of sweat snaked down his forehead, more out of worry than anything. Worry that, Garlic wasn't bluffing on what he had said. If that was the case...they were in a lot more trouble than previously reckoned. Pulling both hands above his forehead, he quickly braced the arm that he was focusing his ki into, as a large purple orb of energy flared to life within it.

"At any rate..." he said over the roar of his and Goku's combined energy. Noting that Garlic was barreling straight at them, he frowned. "Looks like were out of time, now Goku!"

"Right!" Goku said, as energy crackled around his cupped hands.

"Ka...me...ha.."

"Masenko..."

"meaah"

"HAAA!" The two screamed as they fired their attacks. Both beams then quickly came together, twisting and combining into a raging dark blue torrent. Seeing the blast speeding right towards him, and knowing that he had no chance of avoiding it, Garlic quickly crossed his arms in front of him, in an attempt to ride out the attack. It was for nothing, because in a matter of seconds he was swept away, speeding towards the ground.

While they were able to assert some control over their attack, and contain the blast, it nonetheless completely obliterated over half of the palace courtyard, and caused a large chunk of the castle to cave in as well.

Panting, with sweat dripping down both of their faces, Goku and Piccolo exchanged worried glances. They couldn't sense his energy right away, but his foul presence could be felt plain as day. Both of them still had more than enough power in reserve, but if Garlic was truly alive, it would leave little doubt about his prior boast. The prospect of facing an immortal opponent, really didn't appeal to either of them.

Their worst fears were realized, when Garlic burst forth from the crater he had been lodged in. Even from several hundred meters, it was easy to see the damage that they had inflicted _should_ have been fatal. Even though he had nearly finished regenerating, they could see that a large chunk of his face had been melted away, along with huge chunks of his torso. In a matter of seconds, the wounds had completely closed, leaving only faint scars behind. The only reassuring thing was that his ki had dropped, if only by a small amount.

Grimacing, Garlic phased out of sight, reappearing seconds later just a few meters away. With his face contorting into a sick smile, he savored the look of shock upon their faces for a moment, before speaking. "And you see it for your own eyes, what I truly am. As I've already told you idiots, I am...immortal, the dragon was kind enough to see to that."

"Don't let that fool you." Goku said with a sudden smirk, covering the apprehension he felt.

"Yes, we've had the upper hand since this battle began. What makes you think that will change?" taunted Piccolo. "So even if we can't kill you, we can blast you into pieces over and over. Till you regret ever making that foolish wish. Before this is over, you will be wishing for death!"

Clenching his fists, Garlic snarled at the two. He may be immortal, but there were two of them, and eventually they would wear him down. After all, this form of his was focused on raw power. But it was severely lacking in stamina, it was meant to be able to quickly overwhelm opponents, not last a protracted battle against two opponents that were both dangerously close to his own power. Granted, the wish seemed to have taken his stamina beyond his prior limits, but he could already feel his power beginning to slip away.

No, his chances of actually winning this were slim to none, the only reason he was alive at all was due do him cheating fate itself and making that wish.

But then an idea came to him, and it angered him that he hadn't thought of it sooner. No, he couldn't kill them by brute force, but he had another, even more satisfying way. The Dead Zone. Inside, there would be no escape. In that void the entire flow of time was interrupted, and they could last in their for years before they died of any natural cause. Of course, they would probably go insane from the very nature of the place, and kill each other off long before then. That idea suited Garlic even better, he would not only get the pleasure of knowing that he had sentenced them to certain death, but of also knowing they would be driven to the brink of madness before their end came.

Laughing almost uncontrollably, he fired two separate beams at them. Taking advantage of the distraction, he sped higher into the sky.

After smacking the blasts away, Goku and Piccolo focused on locating Garlic. In a matter of seconds they had located him, but something wasn't right. At first glance he appeared to be powering up even further, as his body became surrounded by a viscous vortex of red ki, but that was proven to not be the case when his ki level remained static. Then, something even worse began to play out. The sky began changing from it's usual vibrant blue, to a deep purple, then to red. Black clouds shifted about, swirling just a few hundred feet behind Garlic.

"What the, what in the world is he doing?" stammered Goku.

"I'm, not quite sure..." Piccolo said while gritting his teeth. "But I'm getting one hell of a bad feeling about this..."

As lighting began flashing all around Garlic, the madman began laughing even harder. After a few seconds, he composed himself just long enough to give one final threat.

"You two should have just given in when you had the chance, because now you're in for a fate far worse than death. Make no mistake though, you will die, just not right away." Seeing that he had got their attention, Garlic smirked before continuing, "You will be trapped, doomed to live the remainder of your short lives in a dark, featureless void. Though I'm sure you'll go mad long before age claims you; after all, the dead zone has a way of robbing mortals of their sanity!"

Suddenly the swirling black mass of clouds were lit up by a blinding bolt of lightening. As electricity continued crackling around the edges, the center began to change form entirely, with what appeared to be an opening of sorts appearing in the middle. As the opening got wider, a deep purple light could be seen shining through. Seconds later, the the clouds still surrounding Garlic began to shift, gradually being pulled in towards the portal. After spinning around rapidly, they quickly were sucked into the center and completely out of the mortal plane.

The two then quickly felt an odd shift in the winds, with Garlic's threat suddenly becoming clear.

"Piccolo quick, we need to get away from that thing, now!" Goku shouted in a panic.

Not wanting to take any chances, Piccolo simply sped down toward the castle without a word, Goku right on his trail. In under a minute, the wind was already strong enough to begin uprooting what few trees there were, and those trees were being pulled straight in into the dead zone, as it was called. And from what they could see, it was rapidly getting worse. So fleeing to the relative safety of the castle was probably the best course of action. Though at the rate this was going, both figured it wouldn't hold up for much longer, as large chunks were already being torn from the roof.

Neither one could even begin to figure a way to stop Garlic. Trying to attack him would be suicide, as they would likely be caught up in the maelstrom long before they could get close enough to do anything. Any beam attacks would likely share the same fate.

The room around them quickly began shifting, and several large chunks of the ceiling were whisked away, right from over their heads. At that point, it was about to come down to one last spit second decision, one that might stop Garlic, but also guarantee them being trapped forever with him.

Fortunately, the plan was never put into action, as something neither of them could have ever foresaw occurred. The entire room lurched, then what was left of the ceiling completely crumpled, and was pulled up and away. Grabbing on to what remained of the walls, Goku and Piccolo figured now was their last chance do do anything. That was when they saw something they never expected to see. It was Nimbus, streaking over head. Almost instantly Goku realized the significance of that. Only one pure of heart could ride that hing. That was proven several times, by both Krillin and Master Roshi; Goku would have even managed a chuckle recalling some of those antics, were it not for the situation at hand. Even his wife had trouble staying on, and that only left one other possibility.

Reaching out with his senses, he attempted to get a feel of whoever this was. When he actually felt it, he paled visibly, his worst suspicions confirmed. _Gohan...how...did he...?_

Obviously, Piccolo had figured the same thing. "Goku...tha-that is Gohan..." he said, for once not trying to mask not only his astonishment, but his concern as well. "What the hell is he doing here!"

"I-I don't know...I don't even know how he manged to find this place, I-I only just started teaching him how to sense energy, he shouldn't know..." Goku stuttered out, before trailing off. He barely even noticed the brief look of guilt that came over Piccolo's face, being far more concerned about his son's safety than anything else.

He then saw that Garlic's attention had shifted, on something several hundred meters to his left. Managing to peek over the wall, he saw what it was, and he was even more surprised than before. Gohan was standing in where the far wall used to be, and that was what was so odd. He was _standing,_ nearly unaffected by the pull from the dead zone. Goku knew for a fact that neither he or Piccolo would be able to stand around like that in this, and defiantly not so easily. It was then that the wall he and Piccolo were hanging on to tore loose from the ground, speeding towards the hellish opening Garlic had conjured up. Screaming, more out of surprise than anything, he tried jumping backwards to escape the pull, but it was to little end. While he manged to slow himself significantly, it was taking every ounce of power he possessed to resist as well as he was. One lapse in focus and he would be sent spiraling in, and this time he probably would not be able to catch himself.

It was then he felt a massive surge of energy, surpassing him and Piccolo, and easily rivaling that of Garlic. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that it was Gohan. He seemed to be enveloped in a raging torrent of pure white energy, and it looked as if he was shouting something at Garlic. Suddenly, the forces pulling him in greatly subsided, and he was able to bring himself to a complete stop; albeit with significant effort.

He saw Piccolo a few meters away, starring intently in Gohan's direction, ears slightly pricked. Knowing just how keen the green man's hearing was, he made a mental note to ask him exactly what he heard later, if they all survived.

He figured it best then, to open a mental link with him, lest he end up attracting Garlic's attention by shouting.

"_Piccolo!" _he "said."

Piccolo then turned his head toward Goku, affirming that the link had been established. "_What is it, Goku?" "And since when did your kid get so damn powerful?"_

Thinking for a moment, Goku replied, "I_ really don't know...but how he did it is not important yet...I think I've figured a way to beat Garlic, if you follow me."_

_"I think I do."_ Piccolo thought back, while smirking. "_Garlic is distracted right now, so if we-" _He was then abruptly cut off when Gohan's power surged even higher, out right surpassing that of Garlic. They both then noticed that Garlic was concentrating almost the entirety of the dead zones pull against Gohan, with little effect on the boy. Lacking the proficiency in ki manipulation, Gohan lashed out with his aura, catching Garlic completely off guard, and sending him catapulting end over end towards his own creation.

Unfortunately, the fiend managed to steady himself just seconds before he entered it. Worse, it seemed that effort was to much for Gohan, because he had abruptly fainted, the wind catching him and pulling him toward the dead zone.

Realizing that now was not only their best chance of catching Garlic off guard, but the only one they had to save Gohan, the two quickly blasted toward Garlic.

Right when they were just meters away, Garlic turned, and with a look of utter terror saw what was about to happen. Less than a foot away, they fired the strongest beams of ki that each could muster into his chest. The force blasted Garlic backwards, and straight into the dead zone. Screaming in rage, he flew into the portal, which began closing within seconds of him passing through. For a second it looked as if he might be able to pull himself free, but something unseen pulled him back inside, and the dead zone then closed shut completely. Then, like a pane of glass it shattered, with the sky quickly returning to it's vibrant shade of blue.

* * *

><p>Seeing that the dead zone was finally closed, and Garlic sealed within, Goku nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something... <em>Gohan!<em>

Spinning around, he was about to blast off and catch his son before he hit the ground, but stopped when he saw the boy, sleeping quietly, tucked underneath Piccolo's arm. Seeing that made Goku feel an odd sense of deja vu. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but smile sheepishly at how...ironic the present situation was.

Less than a minute later, both of them touched down just a few hundred yards from what was left of the castle. With the threat over Garlic now over, they were starting to process exactly what had just happened. Neither could hardly believe the power Gohan displayed moments ago. What he displayed was completely mind blowing. Not only did he surpass them, but for a split second his power eclipsed that of Garlic Junior.

After handing Gohan over to Goku, Piccolo smirked. "I can't begin to guess where that power came from...but I do know that if it wasn't for that little outburst, neither of us would be standing here right now. He has a lot of potential, and it would be foolish to let it go to waste."

"I know Piccolo, believe me I know...I can't wait to see how strong he is when he grows up." Goku said. "You know, maybe you could train with us."

"What!" Piccolo said, nearly face planting in the process. Collecting himself a bit, "You...can't be serious..."

Thinking it would be better to not mention the fact that he knew Piccolo was training Gohan as well, he hastily came up with another reason. "Well, the two of us are probably the strongest people on the planet...but what if somebody stronger than Garlic shows up?" "We need to be ready just in case. So I think if we trained together, we could get a lot stronger than just on our own. And Gohan might benefit if he learned more than just one fighting style...so what do you say?"

Keeping a neutral expression, Piccolo paused to think over Goku's offer. It certainly was tempting...it would give him a chance to beat Goku's face in on a regular basis, and the simpleton was right about another thing. It would be to their benefit if they worked together to get stronger, to face any new threat to the Earth. The thought stopped Piccolo in his tracks for a moment, _Since when do I give a damn about the world, or protecting anyone on it?_

Disregarding the thought for the moment, he realized something else. He would be able to visit Gohan more often, and not have to sneak around in order to do so. It would also give him the chance to train the runt too.

"Fine. I'll do it." he said with a scowl. A smile, quickly crossed his lips though, "After all, it would give me the chance to kick your ass on a regular basis, and that is something I could never pass up...

* * *

><p>He had to admit, it would definitely be of great advantage to train with Goku. The only thing he wondered, was of he could actually endure the man's presence for long periods of time without being driven insane. Granted, he didn't hate him, not anymore, but his cheerful personality could get extremely grating at times. The fact that they had started off as bitter enemies only made it that much more awkward. So it was for that reason he was thankful that Krillin showed up when he did, him distracting the simpleton made it very easy for him to slip away unnoticed.<p>

Right when he was about to blast off, he felt a familiar presence behind him, one that he still harbored a great deal of resentment for.

"Kami." he said bitterly. "You obviously have something you want to say, so out with it!"

Leaning on his staff for support, Kami thought for a moment on what to say. "Piccolo I must say, I truly am quite pleased with how things have turned out, and with how much you have changed as well."

"This!" he roared as he spun around, baring his teeth slightly. "You waste my time to tell me this!"

"No. I actually came to tell you something, important, concerning both Garlic and Daimao."

Upon hearing his sire's name, Piccolo's face contorted in rage for a moment. But after a few seconds he managed to reign in his anger. Seeing this, Kami decided it best to continue. "Yes. This may come as a surprise to you, but I do know of that incident that happened about a month ago, the one involving Son Goku and his child. And I know Daimao was involved, that much you may have already suspected, but it goes much deeper than what you might think. At first I had no way to link the two, but after today's events, I have no doubt of what happened. For a while, his influence on you was fading, and in time it would have been severed completely. But Garlic, returning to the mortal plane changed everything."

"When he did, he managed to greatly weaken the barriers in place, between this and the other realms. That gave Daimao all the chance he needed to exploit his connection with you. While he could not reenter the living world, or do anything directly, he could effect you in other ways. Such as by planting subliminal messages in your head, corrupting you dreams, to take advantage of and reawaken the darkness that had been lying dormant within you."

So far Piccolo had kept a calm appearance up, but inside he was seething. He wasn't angry at Kami directly, but the things he was telling him were infuriating. Both fists were clenched tight enough that his nails were digging into his palms, nearly drawing blood. Still, he decided to actually be respectful to the guardian for once, and hear out the entire story without interrupting.

"In addition to allowing him the chance to exert control of you, after Garlic returned, his very presence would have no doubt also fostered foul thoughts within you, feeding the evil that your sire was trying to reawaken. To be honest, I am rather surprised things went the way they did, that you were able to break free the way you did."

Snorting angrily, he decided that he had heard enough. When he really thought about it, he could see the connection, but it changed nothing now. It just made him hate Daimao all the more, and Garlic Junior as well for indirectly allowing it to happen. It was a good enough consolation to know that the the bastard would be rotting for an eternity in a place of his own creation.

Right as he was about to take off, Kami interrupted one last time.

"Their is one, last thing you should know..."

* * *

><p>Cradling his son as he was riding Nimbus home, Goku couldn't help but marvel at the power he displayed earlier. He and Piccolo were getting desperate after Garlic opened up that Dead Zone of his, and the only way they had thought up to defeat him would have almost insured them getting trapped as well. So in effect, Gohan had saved them all. Krillin thought he was pulling his leg at first when he told him how they had managed to win, but once Goku convinced him that he wasn't joking, he was just as shocked as both him and Piccolo had been.<p>

Thinking on it, he couldn't wait to start training him seriously. At first he was planning on waiting a bit longer, but after today, he figured it wouldn't hurt to speed things up. And now he could get an actual sparring partner. He was a little surprised Piccolo agreed so quickly, but he shrugged it off for the moment. His only worry was on getting Chi Chi to agree to it all. He wasn't that worried about her getting too mad about him wanting to push Gohan a bit more, but he knew she would have a problem with Piccolo. She had never liked him since the tournament, and with him kidnapping their son, that dislike grew into full blown hatred. Not that he could blame her to much, but he hoped he could convinced her that he was not the same person that he was way back then. It was going to be a tall order indeed.

* * *

><p>It had been a little over a year since Garlic had been defeated. Goku had taken to training Gohan more often, and he was becoming a good fighter in his own right. He didn't seem that interested in martial arts at first, but after a few weeks of training, it was quite evident that he had inherited at least some of his fathers passion for battle. Gohan was nearly as strong as he had been after training with Master Roshi; and Gohan wasn't even half the age he was then. At the rate things were going, Goku figured he might end up stronger than everyone one day.<p>

Piccolo had kept his word, and occasionally dropped in for a sparring match. More often than not, the matches quickly escalated into all out brawls, not stopping till both were to tired to throw another punch; or with one or both fighters unconscious. Eventually Goku let it slip exactly who he had been training with to Chi Chi, and she had been livid. It took a while, but she eventually came to tolerate the idea, and while she still didn't trust him, and even held a bit of resentment, she had finally accepted that maybe Goku was right, and that he had changed.

Not wanting to be completely left out, she even came out of retirement as fighter, and occasionally spared with her husband and son; but when it came to Piccolo, she would have nothing to due with him. Because of that, Goku decided to keep it a bit of a secret that he was also training Gohan.

Now, shortly after Gohan's fourth birthday, Goku was going over to Kame house, to meet up with the others, and to show them Gohan. Krillin had seen him the year before, but never properly got to meet him, considering he had passed out right after his angry outburst against Garlic. He had asked Piccolo even if he would want to meet up there. At first the green man angrily refused. But eventually, after much pleading-mostly from Gohan-he begrudgingly relented a bit, and said he would "think about it". Goku was a bit nervous as to how everyone would react if Piccolo did decide to show up, but he had explained to Krillin after Garlic had been defeated, all the things that had happened with Piccolo over the years, and how different he was from before. Krillin had been skeptical at his ability to change, but after hearing of Piccolo's recent actions and behavior, coupled with the fact that even his ki felt very different from before convinced him to at least consider the notion.

Goku only hoped that the others would actually believe them. And it was also the day that Goku planned on revealing something else, that he was really some kind of human like alien. He wasn't sure how they would react to it, and hoped they wouldn't think any different of him on account of it. For the moment he pushed the thought to the back of his mind...

* * *

><p>Several hundred miles away, a large metal object crashed into the middle of a field, startling a farmer who had been driving down the road just a few hundred yards away, and nearly causing his truck to tip over. Hastily the man climbed out of the vehicle and cautiously walked over to the crater where the thing had crashed. When he was less than a couple dozen feet away, what appeared to him as some sort of door or hatched opened of on the side of the pod like object. When he saw, through the smoke, a being stepping out of the craft, he balked and fell over backwards in the process.<p>

He climbed to his feet in time to see the person, thing or whatever it was levitate out of the crater, only to descend a few meters in front of him. It, or he looked human enough, with long black hair that stretched far below his waistline. He had on some strange looking armor, but the most unusual and striking thing was that this guy had a tail. That, and he was walking straight towards him.

"St-stop, don't come any closer or I'll shoot ya." the farmer said as he aimed his gun shakily at the intruder.

The stranger raised his hand to an odd looking device that covered his right eye and pressed a button. It beeped a few times and the man smirked.

"Power level of five point seven, pathetic." he said as he continued walking towards the terrified farmer. "You and that little toy of yours are no threat to me, so you might want to run away now while I'm in the mood to let you live."

"N-No." the farmer said, terrified but determined to stand his ground. "This is my property, and I'm wa-warning ya to stay back or else..." When the long haired man simply snickered to himself and kept on walking, the farmer in a state of panic fired off a shot, the recoil nearly knocking him over.

He nearly fainted when he saw the the man was not only unharmed, but had somehow managed to catch the bullet between his thumb and index finger. He was about to turn and run when the stranger flicked the bullet back, hitting him in the forehead and knocking him over backwards. The alien didn't put enough force into it to kill him, but he figured it would be enough to knock him out for a few hours. A few seconds later the device came to life again, beeping much louder than before.

_Hmm, looks like the scouter detected several energy signatures. Everyone less than 500, but they are all above average for this backwater world. Perhaps __**he**__ is one of them..._

Without letting another second pass, the stranger blasted off towards the source of those readings, with a smirk creeping over his face.

* * *

><p>How could he be so weak, so stupid? These were Goku's friends, not his after all, and they most likely still despised him for all that he and his sire had done. Yet there he was, despite his better judgement, flying out to Kame House, and it was all because of Goku's damned brat. Blasted kid wouldn't shut up about it till he caved and told him he would go to their stupid little <em>reunion<em>; not that his father was much better, like father like son indeed!

He did warn them however, that if something happened and anyone ended up getting hurt, or worse; that it was Goku that would take the fall for it, not him.

He suddenly came so a screeching halt mid flight, when his senses picked up a very powerful ki. It was strong, more so than he or Goku, and it had a very negative feel to it. Not necessarily evil, but whoever it was probably was up to no good. It was on the move, and a few beads of sweat trickled down his face when he realized where it was headed...Kame House, the very same place he was going. He was a bit closer, but it was moving fast, and he knew he would really have to move if he wanted to make it in time. One other thing struck him, was how similar; and yet, how different; it's ki felt to that of Goku and his child...

* * *

><p>When Goku touched down on the island, he noticed that everyone was already outside, most likely anticipating his and his son's arrival. The only ones missing were Tien and Chaozu, the two having become more reclusive in the last few years in their training.<p>

"Hi guys, long time no see!" Goku yelled out happily, waving as he did so. Gohan, shyly stepped out from behind his legs.

"Wow Goku, he looks so much like you." Bulma said. Other than his hair being just below ear length, it was just like Goku's, wild and spiking in places. "He does have Chi Chi's eyes though. He has a tail too, just like you do."

Yamcha stepped forward, and gave Goku a soft jab in his shoulder, "Congratulations man. It's just so strange, seeing you with a kid like that, I never thought I'd see the day..."

"So, are you and Bulma still with each other?" questioned Goku. Those two were always on and off again, he had at least noticed that much when he was younger, and while he still didn't know a lot about that sort of thing, he was a bit curious all the same.

At that Yamcha's face turned beet red, as he tried to avoid the glare Bulma was giving him. "Well, that's a bit complicated, if you know what I mean hahaha..."

Taking her gaze of off Yamcha, Bulma turned to Gohan and knelt down to his level. "Hi Gohan, my name is Bulma, I'm a good friend of your daddy."

"H-Hi. "Gohan mumbled bashfully.

"Can you tell me how old you are, Gohan?"

Counting silently on his fingers quickly, he held up four. "I'm four miss Bulma. I had a birthday a few days ago."

"That's really cool Gohan." she said. Standing back up, she turned to Goku. "Wow, he is pretty smart for his age, and he speaks so well."

"Yeah, I've been training him a bit in martial arts, but Chi Chi has been having him study or whatever it's called." he said while scratching the back of his head nervously.

Suddenly his face took on a serious expression, and he spun around and turned his head skyward. Someone was on it's way to their location, and it was strong. Stronger than he was at his best, and he had a feeling that whoever it was was still holding back quite a bit. Without even realizing it, his tail began lashing out erratically, as a few beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. It's ki had a very negative feel to it, which made him all the more suspicious of it's intentions.

"Goku, whats going on?" Bulma asked. Being unable to sense energy, she had no idea what made Goku so agitated so quickly. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"Bulma, you need to get inside as quick as possible." he said coarsely, before turning to the others, "You too Master Roshi, and get Oolong and Puar inside as well. Someone is heading this way, and whoever it is is strong. I don't want you to get hurt if things get ugly."

Before anyone could even make another move, a ball of ki zipped right past the group, narrowly missing Kame House before smashing into the water less than a hundred yards off shore, covering all present in sheets of salty ocean water.

Not even a fifty feet away from the group; a figure with long, wild hair was floating just a few meters above the sand. And strangely enough, he had a tail-just like Goku and his son had-neatly wrapped around his waist.

Glancing down at Goku, the stranger smirked. The spiky hair, his facial structure, like a mirror image of his father. It was him without a doubt. The only questions were why was he wearing such ridiculous clothing, and why was he in the company of these weaklings. Obviously he had failed his mission, otherwise not one of those _humans_ would be left alive. Not that he particularly cared about that fact, it was not all that important at the moment, but the the fact that he had gone native was a bit irking.

"So we finally meet,_ little brother._" "I am your older brother, Raditz." he said.

* * *

><p>For a moment there was only silence. Before anyone else could decide to say anything, Goku waved them off and took a couple of cautious steps toward the new comer.<p>

"My brother...how is that possible, I've never seen you my entire life, so how in the world could you possibly be related to me?" asked Goku. It was a legitimate question, considering that up neither Master Roshi or his grandpa mentioned anything of the sort. It was true that he did have a tail like he did, and when he thought about, he supposed that he bore more than just a passing resemblance to himself and Gohan. He knew he was not from earth, thanks to Master Roshi, but it seemed too much of a coincidence that another of whatever race he was supposed to be not only managed to find him, but was also claiming to be his sibling.

Furrowing his brow, he growled slightly in annoyance. "I'm not surprised that you don't recognize me, since you were a baby when you were sent off, but the fact that you seem to know nothing of your mission is a bit surprising. At least you have your tail, at least something about you is saiyan."

"Wait, a mission, saiyan, what in the world is all that?" Goku asked, scratching the back of his head.

"What are you, stupid?" Raditz yelled, "How can you not know a damn thing about-" he paused for a moment. Then an idea struck him. "Wait, did you ever take a blow to the head, enough to cause some sort of brain damage?"

Thinking back to the the thing he was told by his grandpa when he was younger, he nodded his head. "Yeah, I did actually. When I was only a couple of years old I was out with my grandpa, and I ended up falling into a ravine and smashing my head on some rocks at the bottom."

"He thought I wouldn't make it at first, but after a few days I woke up, completely different than I was before. Before I'm told I was mean and violent, but after that everything about me changed."

Shaking his head in disgust, Raditz gritted his teeth sharply. "So I take it you don't remember anything at all?" At that Goku nodded, much to Raditz's annoyance.

"I didn't think I'd have to explain so much to you when I came here, but here it is. I'm sure you at least guessed that you are different from these humans here, the tail alone should be enough of a giveaway. But you and I, we are Saiyans, from planet Vegeta. Our world is long gone, how or why doesn't matter. What you need to know is that we are some of the last out our kind, and that we were once a proud warrior race, or at least until he came." Raditz balled his fist in anger, ki rising slightly," Ever since that fucking tyrant entered the picture, we became little more than tools, to conquer and on occasion, purge entire planets, sometimes slaughtering millions. Just to add to his growing empire. It's not something we all enjoy, but it was a lot better than the alternative. One day we hope to kill him, but right now that wouldn't be possible, he is just to damn strong, if we tried now we would all be wiped out in the blink of an eye."

"And that is why we have been searching for others that might have been off the planet at the time of it's destruction. You are the only other saiyan outside the prince and his body guard that I've run across. And that is why we need you, you might be a third class weakling, but at least having you means a better chance for our plan to work. For the moment we will have to pretend like it's business as usual, conquering more planets, till we are eventually strong enough to challenge him. So what do you say brother, will you join us?"

The whole time Raditz was talking, all save Roshi were completely dumbstruck by the things he claimed. They could not believe him when he claimed to be some long lost brother, and the rest seemed even more ridiculous. Both Krillin and Yamcha suspected that whoever this was, he was lying through his teeth, and that it was all some sort of trap; the only part they didn't doubt was the genocide that this man claimed, and both knew Goku would want no part in that anyway.

"You really expect us to believe all this, that you are related to Goku, or that he is some kind of alien?" said Krillin as he took a step forward in an attempt to look menacing.

"Yeah, we've known him almost his whole life, so there is no way what you're saying is true. Besides, how do we know this isn't some sort of trick?" Yamcha said, echoing his friends sentiment.

"Guys wait!" yelled Goku. "He's not making this up, at least not all of it."

Seeing that he had everyone's attention, he thought for a moment of how to phrase the rest. "It is true about one thing, I really am from some other world, I'm what Bulma would call an alien or something." he suddenly had to fight back the urge to scratch the back of his head nervously. "I know this thanks to Master Roshi, about a year after the tournament he filled me in on that, both he and Kami had known for years, but waited till I was old enough to understand it better. I was going to tell you all. I just wish you didn't have to find out about it...like _this_."

No one expected Goku to say that, not once did they ever think Goku was from another planet. He was odd, but since he looked exactly like any other person besides the tail, they never had reason to suspect anything else. But now, hearing that this stranger said, and Goku confirming that it was at least partially true, things started to make sense.

"Enough with the interruptions!" boomed Raditz, before turning his attention back to Goku. "Now Kakarot, are you with us or not?"

He didn't even have to think twice on his answer. While he suspected that this person was telling the truth about all he said, he wanted no part in mass murder, even if the goal was noble in any way, the end didn't justify the means. "No way, even if this person is as bad as you say, I refuse to take part in anything that involves harming innocent people!"

"You're a fool brother, don't you see?" Raditz said, frustration beginning to give way to raw anger. "If we didn't do what we did, they would all have died anyway, probably in a far worse fashion. And if we don't do this the way we have been, even more will be destined for the same fate. So if it means some have to die for our goal to be reached, then it's worth it in the end."

"I still say no, I'm not going to take part in any of this, and I'm not leaving this planet to do it, it's my home. In fact, I consider my self more of an earthling than a Saiyan or whatever the hell you said we are." he said, glaring over to his brother.

"Then you're a traitor to us all then." he said, struggling to keep from ripping his brother to shreds. A sudden movement at Goku's feet then caught his eye, and his rage subsided greatly, as a new plan began to take shape in his mind.

"Well, what is this Kakarot?" "Not only did you become just like one of these humans, but it would seem that you took one as your mate and father this little half breed. Long ago it would have been considered an abomination for a Saiyan to stoop so low, but considering that we are the last pure blood Saiyans left, I think it can be over looked."

"And-" he said as he pressed a button on his eye piece. "Power level of eighty four, quite impressive for a kid. Especially for being the half breed spawn of a third class warrior."

When the device started beeping again, Raditz looked over to Krillin and Yamcha. _Hmm, their powers just jumped up. The bald one is at 852, and the one with the scar is 734. Looks like they can hide their energy from the scouter, interesting..._

"Look buddy, Goku said he wasn't helping you and your friends do anything and that is that. So I think you're really starting to wear out your welcome here, so I really I suggest you leave." Krillin said, trying to maintain an air of confidence.

"And if I refuse?" Raditz inquired menacingly.

"Then we will be more than happy to make you, there are several of us and only one of you." Yamcha said, obviously missing the thinly veiled threat.

"Then by all means, go ahead and try if you think numbers will protect you. Lets see what you weaklings can do. " he said, inviting them to try and attack him.

The two got into fighting stances, while Raditz remained motionless, arms crossed casually over his chest. Before Goku had the chance to try and stop them, they quickly rushed forward.

Right before Yamcha's kick could connect, Raditz disappeared from everyone line of sight. A millisecond later he reappeared less than a meter away, and before Yamcha could even react, he lashed out with his tail, smacking him across the face, and sending him plowing into the sand in a state of semi-consciousness.

Krillin took that chance and aimed a punch square at his jaw, but was stupefied when it barely even knocked his head to the side. More disturbing was the fact that Raditz still had that smirk on his face. Without giving the monk any chance, Raditz quickly spun and delivered a kick to his side, the force of the blow sending him crashing through Kame House.

"Now that those peons have been dealt with, what was it we were talking about Kakarot?" Raditz said casually, as if that little skirmish had been nothing at all to him. That worried Goku, the fact that he had beaten them so easily. Even though they were not at their best, this guy hadn't even broken a sweat, which was something he knew he could not do. The fact that he didn't even appear to be powered up made it that much worse.

"Oh yes, I remember now. You seem very opposed to our way of doing business, so I think I've found another way to convince you."

"I don't give a damn what you have to say, you came here and spoiled our get together then you hurt two of my best friends. So nothing you can say will change my mind, it probably would be best if you did leave." then giving an arrogant smirk of his own, he continued. "And for your information, my name is not Kakarot, it's Son Goku."

"Oh I think I will be able to...persuade you to reconsider. That brat of yours is very strong for his age, and while he is not pure Saiyan, I doubt the prince will mind once he see's how strong is, so if you refuse he will make a perfect replacement." Having said that, Raditz phased out of sight, only to reappear right in front of Goku. Less than a second later, he slammed his knee into Goku's stomach, completely knocking the wind out of him, and causing him to cough up a small mouthful of blood.

He then slapped him down onto the beach, causing him to skid on his back for several meters. When he opened his eyes hazily, he saw his son, unconscious, with Raditz holding him by the scruff of his neck.

"Now listen closely little brother, I will be taking your half breed spawn of yours with me to my ship. I will be leaving in about twenty four of this planets hours, and if you do not show up, I will take him instead. So you better be there, or else you will never see your son again."

With that he gathered his ki, and blasted off and an incredible speed. Right as he was leaving, he barely noticed the scouter over his eye start beeping. _That is curious, seems that their was some one else their the entire time. It only had a power of 408, but whoever it was might have been hiding their energy like the other two were._

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Goku finally managed to climb to his feet. Other than a dull ache in his gut-that was quickly fading- he was mostly unharmed. He saw that Krillin had managed to dig himself out of Kame house, and other that some scrapes appeared perfectly fine, Yamcha mean while had regained consciousness, but was in no position to actually move around much. Gohan was his greatest concern, seeing as that so called brother of his had taken him. It had been bad enough when Piccolo had kidnapped him, but he had at the time knew who he was dealing with.<p>

With this guy, he knew nothing whatsoever. Plus, Piccolo had been confined to Earth, which was not the same with this new enemy, he could easily take Gohan off to who knows where, and never be seen or heard from again. He also had no way of being sure that he would not get impatient, and decide to up and leave at a moments notice.

The question was, how would he manage to get him back, the power his brother had already shown was even higher than his at its peak, and he had no doubt that he could go quite a bit further than that. On his own he would probably end up getting himself killed, and Gohan lost forever. Yamcha was down for the count, and Krillin might end up being killed if he came along, and he couldn't even be wished back, having died once before.

Suddenly he realized that he had been missing something, for quite some time. Piccolo. More out of reflex than anything else, he spun around and saw the green man perched on the roof of Master Roshi's house.

"Well Piccolo, am I ever glad to see you!" Goku exclaimed, feeling much more hopeful all of a sudden. Seeing the serious look on the others face, his enthusiasm faltered slightly, as the severity of the situation once again kicked in.

"Enough." Piccolo said. He didn't even yell, the sheer force of his tone was more than enough to convey that he wasn't in the mood to waste time. He then leaped of the roof, landing just a few meters in front of them. "I am already fully aware of the situation, _Son. _So we need to skip the small talk with this one, considering that time is of the essence here. You and your little friends here won't be able to beat that guy, I could tell that much already."

"Wait, so you were here the whole time, and you didn't even try and help us with this guy, what kind of damn game are you playing Piccolo?" Krillin said, clearly agitated at his choice of action.

"Are you really that god damn dense!" Piccolo said, with a vein starting on his forehead starting to bulge. "Do you really think it would have been a _good_ idea for me to just charge in head on, without having the slightest clue what we are all up against?" not even caring to hear the monks response, he went on, "If I had done that, it could have gotten every single one of us killed, and then what?" "Personally, I don't give a damn about any of you fools. I don't even care for Son most of the time, but I know he would not want it to end with every last one of us slaughtered, and the planet the mercy of that bastard. Do you get my point now?"

Krillin nodded his head nervously, his prior confidence quickly forgotten.

"Glad to see were are all in agreement then. But that still leaves us the problem of that, Saiyan, as he called himself." he paused for a moment to think, then scowled in frustration before turning to Goku. "Our only real chance is if we work together on this one. Even then, our chances probably are not that great, but I'll be damned if I'm going to go down without a fight."

"Hey, don't count me out of this, if you guys are going to try and get Goku's kid back, then I'm going to do whatever I can to help."

"You really think you can make any difference at all?" Piccolo said, rolling his eyes slightly. Normally he would have shot down the idea, but he had a feeling that this was going to be worse than the episode with Garlic Junior, and it was obvious that they would need every possible bit of help. He smirked when he saw the shorter man nod. Even though he figured him next to useless, his courage when he was clearly out matched was very commendable.

"Yeah Krillin, are you really sure?" Goku asked, "I mean, you already died once before before, if something happened the Dragon Balls couldn't bring you back."

"I know that, but they would be useless anyway if Piccolo were to somehow die. So I might as well at least try to do something, at the very least I think I could manage keep his attention off you guys."

"Then why are we wasting time, the more time we waste puts the brat in even greater danger." Almost instantly he regretted his choice of words, but it was to late to take them back now. Krillin looked at him as if he had just sprouted a second head, while Goku simply smiled. Ignoring them, he motioned for them to get a move on. So after Goku and Krillin offered a quick farewell to the others, the trio blasted off in the direction Raditz was seen flying in.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

****Goku (Weighted clothing, power slightly suppressed): 700. (Weighted clothing full power): 804. (Full power): 981

Piccolo: (Weighted clothing, holding back slightly): 740. (Weighted clothing full power): 805. (Full power): 979

Krillin: 772

Kami: 519

Gohan: 35 (Angry): 1,125-1,367

Nicki: 496 (Transformed): 550

Sansho: 485 (Transformed): 536

Ginger: 560 (Transformed): 658

Garlic Junior: 760 (Giant form): 1,200

Combined Kamehameha+Masenko: 2,516

* * *

><p><em>Was not beta read. <em>

_Now please read and review._


	4. Brothers to the End part 1

__**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and any such copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more, nothing less.**__

_"I would like to take this time to thank all my reviewers (I've seen them all, even if I haven't responded back.), and those who are following this story; your patience is commendable."_

* * *

><p>Simple. That is what it was supposed to have been. Find Kakarot, refresh his memory if need be on everything, and bring him back with him. Of course luck had not been on their, or rather his side with this.<p>

His brother had not only been completely clueless as to what he was, but had in effect completely renounced his Saiyan heritage. It was infuriating, and he had wanted to murder him on the spot for saying such nonsense. Apparently living with the natives of this planet had made him soft and naïve, ignorant to the cold realities of the rest of the universe. But they way things were, one could not be bound by such a strict moral code. If they were, they would die. Especially serving under Frieza's rule.

Raditz could not figure for the life of him why his brother had seemed so opposed to what they would have to do. Sure they might end up being ordered to kill thousands, perhaps even millions at a time, but it might keep billions more from falling under the tyrant's thumb.

Next to Frieza, he was an insect. Even his two comrades were powerless against the lizard. Prince Vegeta had, on a few occasions had given in to his rage, and attempted to challenge Frieza. As strong as the prince was, he was never able to so much as lay a finger on their captor. Each and every time, Frieza effortlessly felled him with a single blow. Many of his direct subordinates dwarfed them in strength as well, further complicating matters.

Because of that, openly refusing a mission was not an option. It didn't matter what their personal feelings were towards it, the choice was clear; either take the mission, or risk facing death itself.

It was moments like this that he could almost bring himself to question his prince's logic. It was true that he had wanted to find Kakarot, but he felt that Vegeta had been extremely rash in ordering him off so quickly. They needed the help, but they did not need to draw Frieza's suspicions; after all, the tyrant seemed to have a way of keeping track of his favorite pets. Of course he had wanted to find his brother, but he figured that the plan would have amounted to a lot more. Of course, he would prefer not to voice his complaints so openly, past history and a great many beatings had taught him that doing so was not always the best of ideas.

Still, it was a fortunate turn of events that Kakarot had a son. That way even if he refused, they would still have an able warrior to eventually add to their ranks. He had considered the notion of killing him and taking the kid anyway even if he did agree to the terms, but thought better of it. They were likely the last of their kind, plus he still was family, even though they had lived galaxy's apart for the entirety of their lives.

And despite what his brother may have thought, he never really enjoyed what he had to do. Saiyans were a warrior race by nature, and their greatest passion was fighting challenging opponents, not slaughtering or beating helpless weaklings.

The way he figured it, you either became numb and apathetic to it, or you got so wrapped up in thoughts of what you were doing that it would eventually drive you insane. Though with their little group, he suspected both might be true.

Besides, if he really wanted to be angry with anyone for how this had ended up, it would be himself. The prince may have given him the order, but it was he who had spent years pondering Kakarots fate, whether he had done as the mission dictated, or if he was even alive. It was only in the last year or so that he had finally mustered up the courage to mention it, and was very surprised at the enthusiasm the idea had been met with.

He was momentarily pulled out of those memories when he felt the wind pick up a bit, bringing the sound of the now screaming half breed to his ears. He had nothing against the brat, but that noise he was making was infuriating. With a split second burst of speed he leaped several hundred feet away, with the pod he left the boy in well out if his range of hearing. As he took in the peaceful feeling, he allowed himself to slouch against a rock, mind drifting back to his prior thoughts.

He had expected the prince to flatly reject the notion of wasting any time searching out a third class warrior that may or may not have even been alive, but such was not the case. Instead Vegeta had demanded that he seek Kakarot out right away, as that would make it that much sooner that they could finally free themselves.

* * *

><p>Even though it was several hundred miles away, they could all pick up on Radtiz's ki without much difficulty. So far not one of them had managed to come up with any concrete plan on how they could manage to beat him. It was obvious that he was much stronger than both Goku and Piccolo, though exactly how much was the real mystery.<p>

"So, do any of you have any idea on how we can beat this guy?" asked Krillin, tired of the awkward silence between the three. He was still a bit suspicious of Piccolo, but was quickly coming accept the fact that he really was a different person than he had been years ago. Goku clearly placed a lot of trust in him, and Krillin had known the man long enough to know that he was much smarter than he usually let on, and was quite adept at reading people. So if Goku could trust him, he figured he could learn to as well.

"To be honest, not really," Goku muttered, or at least it sounded that way, given how loud the wind was from them flying at such a high speed. "That thing over his eye looked like it can pick up on our energy signals, so he probably all ready knows we're on our way."

"So the best thing would probably be to meet him head on. I doubt he would expect us to just challenge him like that, as arrogant as he seemed it would probably be the last thing he would expect. Which means he would probably end up underestimating us, giving us a chance to exploit any weak points that he might have." Piccolo said, hardly even noticing that there was only a few miles left before the ocean would vanish and they would hit the mainland.

"Yeah, that sounds like our best bet." Goku said, sounding somewhat more hopeful. "Wait a minute, I got an idea, if he is anything like me, it will hurt like hell if one of us grabs his tail, he might not even be able to move at all if we did!"

"That might work, but what if trained like you did, and made his tail strong enough that it wouldn't even matter?" Krillin asked, glancing at the furry object wrapped around Goku's waist. He remembered all to well what had happened when he had tried to grab it at the tournament, back when they were kids.

Goku nearly fell out the sky with that, and Piccolo even had to suppress a chuckle at his oversight. Still, it was a solid plan if one of them could even manage it, and probably their best bet if they wanted to survive against him.

"Well, yeah I guess I didn't think that far ahead." Goku said, as a few drops of sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I still think it's worth a shot," Piccolo said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "After all, he may not have ever thought it necessary to learn, or wasn't smart enough to even consider the idea. Either way, if it is a weak point of his, you all know he will be guarding it fiercely. We'll probably be hard pressed to find a way to grab it, and even if we do we will have to be ready in case the strategy backfires."

* * *

><p><em>"So you think that the third class might still be alive then?" grumbled Vegeta, as dusk began bathing the sky with a vibrant amber shade. Within a few feet of each other, on a rocky outcropping stood three warriors. By his demeanor alone, it was obvious that the man with the spiked hair, -who had just finished speaking- was the leader.<em>

_"I'm not sure if he is or not, but considering the average being on that planet has a fighting power of about four or five, I would think so. Even the strongest readings show that their are only a few hundred with a power above twenty, and maybe half a dozen that even break one hundred. Even a third class like him would find such a world to be pathetically easy to purge, and even if he failed for whatever in that regard, it's not likely anyone would be strong enough to stand against him. From what I was able to get into, his pod managed to make it there with no mechanical issues, so I have every reason to believe he is alive." Raditz said._

_"I don't know, seems like a waste of time if you ask me. And a big risk, someone would find out in no time that we are up to something, and no telling what Frieza would do to us then." said the larger warrior, Nappa. By his tone, it was easy to tell that he didn't hold the one called Frieza in high regard._

_"And that Nappa, is precisely why Raditz will go alone on this." said the Vegeta. "It was his idea, plus he is the least likely to be noticed if he goes missing."_

_"So you actually agree with me, prince Vegeta?" Raditz said while bowing slightly._

_"Of course I do, imbecile!" Vegeta said, slamming his fist into a boulder. "I don't give a shit if he is a third class or not, we need all the help we can get if we want to get rid of that fucking lizard." he snapped, as he noted the damage inflicted on the rock; he was known for having a short fuse, but lately he had been even more on edge than what was normal._

_"The trip to TerrErde should take about one hundred abson cycles. And since this seems so important to you, with it being your brother and all," he said, making certain he put extra emphasis on the word 'brother'. "I want you to leave, preferably within the next minute!"_

_"You don't mean-_

_"Are you questioning me now Raditz?" Vegeta interrupted, as he cast a glare toward his long haired comrade . "Because I thought you knew better than to do so..."_

_"No, of course not." he mumbled frantically, taking a nervous step backwards._

_"So then, stop wasting time and get the hell off this rock!" Vegeta barked out, involuntary flaring his aura, knocking Raditz and Nappa both over backwards._

_Paling, Raditz dashed to his pod, punched in the coordinates, then hit the button that activated the pods stasis mode. Within seconds the ship activated, levitating off the ground. For a few seconds it hovered in place, before vanishing at a speed many times faster than light._

...

A sudden beeping sound coming from his scouter almost immediately pulled Raditz out of that memory. He quickly pressed the button, and was a bit surprised at what he saw. _Three ki signatures, looks like Kakarot might try and put up a fight after all. Maybe he still has some Saiyan in him yet._

In less than a minute, Kakarot and two others touched down in front of him. Being rather curious of where their powers stood compared to his own, he pressed the button on the scouter a second time.

_Hmm, 600 for the bald guy, 614 for the tall green one, and 609 for Kakarot. Strange, the short guy had a much higher power earlier. Maybe they're all hiding their energy..._

"Well Kakarot, have you reconsidered my "offer?" he said with a frown. Then giving and arrogant smirk, he continued "Or do you really want to fight me little brother?"

"I've already told you, my name is not Kakarot, it's Goku. And no, I would rather die than join you!" Goku said, clenching his fists. "And doubly so if that's what it takes to get my son back from you!"

"So it really comes down to this..." Raditz said, sounding genuinely upset at Goku's reaction. Then, he narrowed his eyes and growled angrily. "So be it then, you dug this hole yourself, now let's see how well you can dig yourself out of it!"

With that said, all three cast aside the weighted clothing that they had been wearing, and began powering up. The whole time, Radtiz watched the numbers on his scouter steadily rising, a look of genuine surprise coming over his face. Then, as the shock faded, the look was gradually overtaken by a smirk. When their powers finally stopped, he had to admit the power they had was very unexpected. _Kakarot is at 1,551, the green man 1,549, and the midget at 1,227...how interesting._

He hadn't even expected Kakarot to have a power over 1,000...so to see that BOTH he and that green man were over 1,500 was a bit unsettling. Not that he lacked confidence in his ability to defeat them, but the third person could make things very dangerous for him if he didn't take this seriously enough.

...

Once they were all done powering up, both Goku and Piccolo were a bit surprised at how strong Krillin had managed to get. Over a year ago he was much weaker than both of them had been at the time, and had more or less been swatted aside by Garlic. But now, he was at least as strong as Garlic had been, if not slightly stronger.

"Well, looks like you might be of some use in this fight after all..." Piccolo muttered, trying not to betray his surprise to them.

Seconds later, Raditz removed his scouter and placed in inside some compartment in his armor. Then, with a smirk on his face, Raditz phased right out of their line of sight. Before he could reappear, all three scattered into separate directions.

Immediately Goku's eyes darted to his left, right as Radtiz materialized a few feet away. Cranking his fist back, he threw a punch, only for his brother to catch it- albeit with effort. Before he had a chance to follow up, Raditz was forced to break away when Piccolo rushed in, barely avoiding a boot to the face. Instantly Raditz whirled around and smashed an elbow into the side of Piccolo's head, sending him spiraling towards the ground. Instead of pursuing him, Raditz quickly focused his attention to his brother, who along with Krillin were rushing right at him. He managed to parry a round of punches from Goku, before a knee to the side of his head forced him to turn his attention to Krillin. While the blow caused him only a small burst of pain, the fact that someone so much weaker managed to land a blow on him was irritating.

Before the monk had a chance to retract his leg, Raditz grabbed it, and flung him far off into the sky. Without even thinking, he gathered a small amount of ki in his hand and launched it at Krillin. Raditz knew it shouldn't be able to kill or even seriously injure him, but it would keep the shrimp out of his hair for at least a few moments.

A few seconds later, Krillin managed to bring himself to a complete halt. Any relief he felt though was crushed when he saw the blast that was headed his way. Knowing that he would be completely letting his guard down if he tried to dodge it, he instead gather as much energy into his hands as possible and braced himself. When the blast slammed into his palms, Krillin winced momentarily at the sting, but after only being pushed back a few meters, managed to fling the orb off into the sky. While he was still trying to get the burning in his hands to die down, the blast detonated, and while it was miles away by that point, the wind from it was still enough to send him tumbling end-over-end through the air.

When he recovered his bearings yet again, he could see both Piccolo and Goku engaging Raditz in a high speed melee. It looked as if they were handling things well enough, but he knew that in an instant things could be completely reversed. But for the moment, he decided to hang back, till he could manage to find a decent opening.

* * *

><p>Twisting to his right, Raditz barely avoided two thin eye beams that Piccolo fired, but before he got the chance to catch his breath he was forced to block a kick from Goku that had been aimed at his face. After kicking Goku off him, Raditz turned and fired a kiai at Piccolo, knocking him back several dozen meters. After doing so he darted off higher in the sky to get a chance to clear his head. He knew that if he kept fighting at this level, his brother and those two allies of his would eventually get the better of him. For the moment, he had been holding back, to try and gauge just how powerful they were, and how well they could fight as a team.<p>

So far, Raditz had to say he was rather impressed. He hadn't came to this planet expecting a fight in the first place, but even still he figured that there would be no one strong enough to ever pose any sort of challenge to him-including his brother-. Obviously he was mistaken in that regard, but that only served to make things more interesting. Though he was irritated that his brother had turned against him, and was working with those two to beat him, the fact that they were offering him such a challenge was exhilarating. Of course, Raditz knew he would have to use his full power if he hoped to win; continuing to fight at anything less than his full potential could prove to be a very grave mistake if he even dropped his guard once.

At that moment he realized that he had forgotten something. So far he had only been holding off Kakarot and the green one, the third shorter fighter had been missing for several minutes. He knew the midget deflected his attack, so something had to be up.

Looking up, Raditz saw the one in question suddenly appear a few feet in front of him. The fact that Raditz had been so surprised by the sudden appearance allowed Krillin the perfect chance to score a punch to Raditz's face, and since his guard had been down, the blow had sent the saiyan hurtling off into the distance.

After flying for a few hundred feet, Raditz gathered some energy and forced himself to a complete stop. He quickly wiped the side of his face, and was a bit surprised to see a few drops of blood on the back of his hand. For an instant he felt nothing but anger at being blindsided yet again by the weaker warrior. But after a few seconds the rage subsided and was replaced by a cool resolve. Though it was a bit annoying that the weakest of the three was making him force his hand so quickly, he knew that it was inevitable that he would have had to do so anyway.

Before Raditz could get any further, he spotted the other two, just a few meters away. He quickly conjured up a couple balls of ki and launched them, one at each of the warriors. To his surprise, the easily smacked the attacks away, and Raditz was forced to quickly spin off to the side to avoid getting decked by Goku. Raditz was about to kick him in the face, but was stopped when Piccolo grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards. This backfired on Piccolo when Raditz used his momentum and launched a powerful punch, fist connecting with Piccolo's forehead, the force causing him to release his hold on Raditz and go flying backwards several feet.

As he turned around again, Raditz felt his brother's knee slamming into his stomach, and a sly grin plastered over his face. For a brief second he actually fought the urge to laugh at the reversal of their situation on the island, but this was cut short when Piccolo reappeared above him, face bloodied from the last blow he had been dealt, his hands already clasped together.

Not wanting to give his foe a moments respite, Piccolo slammed his hands down onto the top of Raditz's skull, sending him plummeting towards the ground like a bullet.

After the three managed to regroup, they all slowly descended close to the spot Raditz crashed into. As the dust began settling they could easily make out a silhouette standing in the middle of it all. The long-haired saiyan had several cuts on his face, and his armor was cracked in a few spots, but other than that he did not look like he was injured in any meaningful way. The worst part was the look he had on his face. He didn't appear angry, rather the confident smirk he had on his face made him seem even more threatening.

"Well I must admit little brother, I'm rather impressed with the fight you all have been putting up. I never expected anyone on this backwater world to have this much power, but you three have surprised me. But this little game ends now." Raditz said, the smirk giving way to a frown. "I've been holding my full power, to try see just how well you could do in battle. And I must say, you may act nothing like a Saiyan, but you definitely fight like one. Unfortunately for you three, I'm done taking it easy on, so let's see how you stand against the might of a second class Saiyan warrior!"

A faint blue aura then flickered to life around Raditz, and with it his power began to rise rather quickly. The wind generated from him powering up prompted Goku and Piccolo to dig their feet into the ground and brace themselves. Krillin was unable to even accomplish that and was knocked over backwards before finally digging himself in. After only a few seconds, it was over. And while his power up had not been as much as they were all afraid it would be, it was more than enough to be cause for concern. At the level he was at, one wrong move could result in a debilitating injury, or worse.

After the dust had settled, Raditz's aura died down to a faint glow, the long-haired Saiyan snapped his head towards them and smirked evilly. Then, less than a second later he phased out of their line of sight.

Before they could react, he appeared right next to Piccolo, fist already cranked back. With almost every ounce of his strength, Piccolo managed to catch the blow. Unwilling to give him the chance to do anything else, he aimed a kick at Raditz's jaw, which the latter easily blocked. It did however, free up both his arms, and he managed to conjure up a decent amount of energy in his hand, before firing it right into Raditz's face.

Temporarily blinded from the blast, Raditz stumbled backwards a few feet; Goku then rushed forward and slammed his foot into his brother's forehead, knocking him several hundred meters away. Taking the chance, all three rushed him, splitting off into three directions. In a few seconds, he had managed to recover, only to find Goku in his face; smirking, he leaned to the side, narrowly avoiding another blow to the face. Then, without giving him chance to make another move, he flipped around and drove his knee into Goku's back, sending him crashing to the ground.

Spinning around, Raditz managed to catch a punch that Krillin had directed at his chin. Before he could do much further, he was forced to release the monk and jump to the side, as a ki blast ripped through the air right where he had been hovering. A few hundred feet away, he saw Piccolo, arm still extended from firing the blast. Without much of a second thought, he rushed forward, and before Piccolo had much time to register what was happening, Raditz had slammed a fist into his gut. Ignoring the pain, Piccolo clenched his fist and took a swipe at Raditz's face, only to have the long haired Saiyan phase out of sight before the blow could connect.

Still gasping, he picked up on Raditz's energy, and ducked right before a massive blast engulfed him. Turning to his left, Piccolo saw the warrior rushing towards him, and he quickly braced himself. Right before Raditz could get within striking range, he was intercepted by twin kicks from both Krillin and Goku, and was sent sprawling several hundred feet away.

Faster than they expected, he had recovered, and had already fired a large beam of energy at them. Thinking quickly, Piccolo formed a ball of ki in his hand, then hurtled it at the blast Raditz fired. The explosion knocked Krillin backwards, and both Goku and Piccolo had to shield themselves from the heat and wind it generated. But before the smoke even cleared, Raditz burst through the cloud of debris, and slammed his elbow down on the base of Krillin's skull, sending him plummeting towards the ground.

"Krillin!" screamed Goku as he aimed a kick at Raditz's chest. Unfortunately for him, his brother managed to avoid the blow by spinning off to the side. Then, he fired a blast into Goku's side, ripping the top half of his gi, and sending him plummeting to the ground smoking.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Piccolo took advantage of his foes distraction and delivered a powerful upper cut to his chin right as he was turning around. The force caused Raditz to do several back flips through the air, but when he righted himself Piccolo was on him again, attacking him with a flurry of punches and kicks. After dozens of his strikes either being blocked or avoided, Piccolo finally got lucky and scored a punch to the other's stomach, causing Raditz to cough up a mouthful of blood and spit.

Realizing that he would be on his own against the Saiyan for at least a few more moments until the other two recovered, Piccolo quickly thought up a plan that would allow him to stall for the necessary time. After going through all the techniques he knew, his mind finally settled on the perfect one. Seeing that his opponent was still grasping his side, Piccolo quickly darted up into the sky, a few hundred feet below the cloud bank.

Upon looking down, and seeing that Raditz was already speeding towards him like a guided missile, Piccolo readied himself and smirked.

"Multi-Form!"

* * *

><p>With a grimace on his face, Raditz spent a few seconds gasping for air as his opponent flew skywards. <em>The coward, <em>he thought. Even at his full strength these bastards were giving him a tough time; that last blow he had been dealt had hurt like hell. Raditz grinned when he saw his opponent stop right before he went into the clouds, then blasted off towards him, intent on paying Piccolo back tenfold for the injury he had given him.

He thought little of it when he heard the fighter scream out what he thought to be some sort of attack, but when he suddenly saw two identical copies appear on either side of him, his jaw literally dropped. He had heard of techniques like this, but never once had he witnessed a person demonstrate one. "What in the hell?"

By that time, both of the other "Piccolo's" darted off to either side, with the original rushing Raditz head on. Before he got the chance to strike, Raditz was forced to move sideways when one of them fired a massive ki blast at him. While his guard was down, he was kicked roughly in the stomach by the original, before being hammered downward by one of the copies. Catching himself almost instantly, he back handed one of them away, only to get punched in the ribs by another. After blasting that one in the face, a third was already on him. Using his own leg, he managed with a slight amount of effort to block a knee that had been aimed at his chin.

When the other two caught up, he found himself bombarded on all sides. After a few seconds of blocking and dodging, he managed to notice something peculiar. One of the three was significantly faster than the others, and while still causing practically no damage, was packing a much harder punch. It didn't take long before he realized that one was the original; and he figured that if he attacked him directly, it should be able to get rid of the duplicates.

Grinning, Raditz flared his ki, knocking the fake Piccolo's several hundred meters backward, then rushed in and slammed his elbow into the side of the originals head. Then, before he could collect himself, Raditz spun around and kicked him in the back, sending him plummeting towards the ground. To his surprise the green man landed on his feet, but his duplicates quickly grew transparent, before being pulled back down to rejoin with their creator.

Before he could rush down after him, a small blast ripped through the air, and when he looked down he saw the midget, arm extended from firing it. He was covered with cuts and bruises, in addition to having his shirt in tatters, but aside from that appeared to have no real injuries; that Raditz figured, he could change. Out of the corner of his eye however, he spotted his brother, and saw that he was charging up some kind of attack. More out of curiosity than concern, he pulled out his scouter and placed it back over his eye.

* * *

><p>It had only taken Goku a minute or so to recover from the blast, and then put out his burning clothes; by the time he had, he saw three Piccolo's attacking Raditz. Now he was thankful that he had taught him the Multi-Form technique, and actually felt a bit of pride that Piccolo had decided to use it in the first place. He knew though that even with it, he wouldn't be able to hold off Raditz for long. That was confirmed when he saw Raditz gain the upper hand, as he knocked Piccolo downward.<p>

He then decided to try something a bit risky. A regular Kamehameha would probably accomplish little, but the stronger version of it that he had in his arsenal might be enough to do some real damage. A few years ago, Goku knew would have been risking his life by using it, but thanks to all the training he had done with it since, the strain was only slightly greater than the original version.

Jumping up well over a hundred feet into the air, he cupped his hands and began gathering energy. As a blue tinted orb began to form between them, he saw another blast fly through the air. He felt a wave of relief pass through when he saw that Krillin was the one who fired it; it at least meant he was ok for the moment.

Seeing that Raditz had spotted him, and then had for some reason decided to put that eye piece back on made him grin slyly. By this point Goku knew that device could pick up energy signals somehow, and since his brother had decided to stop in his tracks long enough to get some sort of reading on him was a very good thing; it meant that he would likely not try to avoid his attack, or that he might not even have time to do so.

"Super...Ka...Mayyy...Ha...Mayyy..." he began chanting, as his muscles swelled to an almost unnatural degree.

"Haaaa!" Goku screamed, firing all the energy he had been gathering into a massive blue beam.

The second he did, the scouter Raditz was wearing started beeping frantically. _What the hell, 2,187...that's almost as high as my power level!_

Seeing the blast speeding towards him, Raditz gathered a massive amount of ki in his left hand. "Aura of Darkness!" Raditz yelled, firing a near pitch black beam of energy right at the blast Goku fired.

Quickly, the beam began to overtake his own, and Goku was forced to jump out of the way to avoid being caught up in it. The blast sped on for over a dozen miles, before slamming into the ground and exploding, lighting up the sky for over a hundred miles around.

Dumbfounded at how easily his best attack had been beaten, and panting heavily, Goku turned his attention back to Raditz. To his amusement, he saw that he was gasping for air too, though he didn't look nearly as exhausted as he did, it was a bit reassuring for him to see that his brother had to put a lot of effort into overriding that attack.

For a moment Raditz remained in place, in a bit in awe of how his brother could have created an attack so powerful, especially in relation to his power level. Then, casting those thoughts aside for the moment, he phased out of sight, appearing a few feet away from Goku. He quickly tried to bring up his knee into Goku's chin, but his brother managed to flip backwards and avoid the blow. Thinking quickly, Goku copied Piccolo's earlier strategy and fired a ball of ki right into Raditz's face. He then spun around and kicked him in the back, knocking him several feet forward.

After that Goku sped above the long haired fighter and clasped his hands together, intent on smashing him down to the ground. This effort was met with failure when Raditz grabbed his arms roughly, before kneeing him in the chest. Still holding onto Goku's arms, he quickly glanced both ways, and saw Piccolo and Krillin rushing him from either direction. Not wanting to leave himself vulnerable, he tossed Goku to the ground, and with little time to spare he raised an arm to block a kick from Krillin.

Smirking, he grabbed Piccolo's incoming fist with his other hand, and batted Krillin to the side effortlessly. Out of desperation, Piccolo opened his mouth and fired a blast point blank into Raditz's face. While the force was enough to cause Raditz to lose his grip on Piccolo's hand, it was more out of surprise that he did so.

Still, the blast had momentarily blinded him, and Piccolo quickly spun and launched a savage kick into his side, cracking his armor in the process. Swiping blindly at the air, Raditz got lucky with one of his swings, nailing Piccolo square in the jaw with a clumsy right hook. The punch sent him sailing backwards, right as Raditz's sight began returning to him.

Before he could press his assault any further, Raditz was blindsided by both Goku and Krillin. After a few seconds of being pummeled, Raditz regained the upper hand, as the three clashed high above the grassland below. Ever after Piccolo jumped into the fray, all that was accomplished was forcing Raditz into a stalemate.

...

As they went back and forth, the entire area for several miles around was being torn apart by the shock-waves from every punch or kick that connected, and from all the stray ki blasts that missed their targets.

For a few moments it went on like this, with the team of three going blow for blow with Raditz. To the untrained eye, it would even look like they had a slight advantage, but in reality the opposite was the case. While they were landing more blows than he was, their attacks were doing comparatively little damage, while the ones he landed were devastating. The only reason they were doing so well was because they outnumbered him three to one, and thanks to that, every time it looked like one of them was in a tight spot, another would catch Raditz and force him to focus his attention elsewhere.

Still, they were going nowhere fast. So far none of the combatants had lost a significant portion of their ki, but it wouldn't stay that way for much longer. Raditz was hardly out of breath, yet they could already feel the beginning stages of fatigue coming on. Now more than ever seemed like the time to put Goku's idea into effect, while they were all near full strength.

Dodging an upper cut, Krillin quickly spun around and kicked Raditz clean in the middle of his stomach. Hanging back for a second as Goku and Piccolo smashed him down to the ground, he noticed a huge slit appear in his tattered shirt, right below the collar bone, obviously generated from the force of the punch. _Da-damn. That would have taken my head clean off if it had hit, looks like this guy is really starting to get serious..._

Shuddering for a moment at that thought, he nearly missed the subtle jolt that passed through his mind. For a moment he was confused, till he realized that it was Goku and Piccolo, attempting to open a telepathic link with him.

_"So you think now is the time?" _Krillin heard Goku ask. Apparently the mental conversation had been going on for a bit longer than he had first thought.

_"If not now, then when would you suggest, after we are all dead?" _Piccolo roared back.

_"Ok, ok I get the point. No need to yell." _Goku replied while waving his arms defensively.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Piccolo continued._ "Getting to the point, now that your bald friend has joined us finality..."_ Upon saying this, his gaze shifted to Krillin. _"I believe I have an idea on how we can take this guy out. Unfortunately it involves using Son's plan, but I can bear that burden if it keeps us alive."_

_"So what is the plan then guys?" _Krillin asked quizzically.

"The plan," Piccolo said, obviously no longer worried about keeping silent. "The plan is simple. I have been working on a technique, one that should be easily capable of killing him. It just has one flaw, that I haven't yet worked out."

"And that would be?" asked Krillin, as a drop of sweat slid down his forehead.

"The problem is how much time it takes to charge up. I was actually planning on using it to surprise Son with, so most of my work on it was done in secret. Consequently, that gave me very little time to perfect it, something I'm beginning to regret now. Which means..." he said, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Which means, that while I'm charging it, you two will have to keep him distracted."

"That doesn't sound that bad, for how long?" questioned Goku. This, Piccolo had never gotten to tell him.

"At least five minutes." Piccolo said, as the others nearly fell over.

"What, you have to be kidding!" Krillin said nervously. "The three of us were struggling enough anyway, and you're saying were are supposed to keep him busy while you just sit back charging that attack of-"

"Enough, blasted imbecile." Piccolo shouted out. "This might be our only chance. And besides, if one of you can manage to get a hold of his tail, you wouldn't even have to worry about surviving. All you would have to do is wait, and _not let go_. With that line of thought, no wonder you're Son's best friend." he said, with the last bit being said under his breath.

Before they could discuss matters further, their attention was drawn back to Raditz. He was standing in the middle of a small crater, the one created when Goku and Piccolo had smashed him into the ground. Considering the circumstances, he was being rather patient, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Deciding to put their plan into action, Goku and Krillin charged towards Raditz, while Piccolo quietly descended to ground level. Once he had touched down, he immediately balled his hand into a fist, then extended his middle and index fingers. As energy sparked to life around them, he brought them to within inches of his head, as veins began to bulge all over his body.

* * *

><p>Upon seeing Piccolo fall back, the other two knew right away that they would have to be far more cautious than before. They were barely holding their own then, and now they were down a fighter. One wrong move could easily cause get all of them killed, and Gohan lost forever. With that in mind, they sped toward him, noting that he wasn't even bothering to get into a fighting stance. It seemed that he didn't feel any cause for concern now that he was only going to be facing two of them for the moment; experience however had taught them the hard way that that sort of mentality often ended up being detrimental in the long run.<p>

Right when they were mere meters away, Goku shot high up into the air, and Krillin off to the side. Not expecting the sudden change in tactic, Raditz immediately turned his attention onto his younger brother, and shot off like a rocket after him.

In a matter of seconds he passed Goku, and cut him off by stopping right in front of him.

"What kind of game are you trying to play, brother?" Raditz asked, being rather curious on the sudden change in strategy. "I see that you and the bald midget are trying to take me on without the help of the green guy. You all were barely keeping up when it was three of you, so what makes you think this is going to work any better?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Goku replied back with a smirk. Obviously his brother hadn't been paying much attention, otherwise he would have noticed what Piccolo was up to. Which, in Goku's mind, was a good thing. If they could keep his attention off Piccolo till the last second, then they would stand a real good chance at winning.

Raditz, however didn't seem satisfied with the answer he had been given, given the expression that came over his face immediately afterwards. "Or I could just beat it out of you." he stated flatly, before disappearing from Goku's line of sight.

Goku decided that if he stayed in one spot, he would be leaving himself wide open; so less than a second after Raditz disappeared he blasted forwards as quickly as he possibly could. He hardly got a hundred meters before he was forced to dodge an elbow that had been directed at his temple. He quickly tried to counter with a punch of his own, only to have Raditz catch his fist with relative ease. Right before the latter could drive a fist into his brother's gut, he was caught off guard by a foot to the back of his head, courtesy of Krillin. The force sent him sprawling forwards, and gave Goku enough time to spin around and plant a boot into his lower back.

Growling angrily, Raditz dodged a follow up swing, then parried a short combo that Krillin threw his way. After kicking the monk away, he turned around to face his brother, only to end up ducking to the side to avoid taking a punch to the face. Before Goku could further react, he was met with a ki blast to his face, one with enough force to send him hurtling backwards for several hundred meters. Raditz nearly chuckled at that, considering it payback for all the times he had been blasted in the face during this battle.

In his moment of gloating, he failed to notice that Krillin was speeding towards him, fist aglow with white hot energy. He suddenly jerked around as his scouter began beeping rapidly, and was met with a powerful blow to the gut. The blow itself wasn't enough to really injure him, but it was more than enough to knock the wind from his lungs. That, coupled with his surprise at the scouter's reading greatly impaired his ability to respond to what was happening.

_1601, even higher than Kakarot and that green bastard's. Somehow they can focus their energy, and use it to greatly amplify their attack's power..._

Before he could react, Krillin reared back and punched him in the face. And before Raditz could recover from that, Krillin sped forward and smashed him down with every bit of power he could muster. Wanting to press his luck, and ignoring the dangers of doing so on his own, he rushed downward in an attempt to intercept Raditz's path.

By that point, Raditz had gotten over his momentary surprise, and was seething. He was infuriated that someone who was barely over half his power level could manage to catch him completely off guard, and actually get the better of him for a few seconds. Upon seeing the midget flying towards him as he fell, he gritted his teeth and completely stopped himself with a small burst of ki.

_** ***To be continued*****_

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>_  
><em>

****Goku: 750 (Suppressed with weighted clothing), 1,551. (Super Kamehameha): 2,187

Piccolo: 1,549

Krillin: 1,227

Raditz (Initial power): 1,685. (Start of battle): 1,830. (Full power): 2,250. (Aura of Darkness): 2,421

* * *

><p><em>AN: I apologize for the long and somewhat shorter chapter, but it was necessary to get something out as soon as possible. This is actually the first half of a 14,000+ word chapter, and I opted to split it, expect the second half out within the next two weeks, and hopefully the 6th within a month of that._

_Beta read by lilpumpkingirl._

_ And as always, continue to read, review and criticize where needed._


	5. Brothers to the End part 2

__**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and it's copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more, nothing less.**__

_A/N: I apologize for this chapter taking two months instead of a couple weeks, but life has been hectic for me. So I would really like to thank all those who are sticking with it despite the erratic updating schedule. Another thing, I'm over 1k words into Chap.6, so hopefully expect it within a couple of months._

* * *

><p>Krillin noticed the instant Raditz came to a halt, and he even saw the smirk forming on his lips. But by that point he was far too close, and moving far too quick to change direction. For a moment he cursed being so overzealous in pressing his attack, then braced himself for the onslaught he knew he was about to endure. Right when he was within a few meters, he formed a ball of ki and hurtled it at the saiyan warrior, only to have it smacked to the side without any effort. Of course this didn't surprise Krillin in the least. He saw Raditz phase out of sight, and instinctively dodged to the left, with sudden rush of air being the only thing he saw or felt as his opponent speed by.<p>

Spinning around, the next thing he saw was a boot, right before it connected with his forehead. After several hundred meters, Krillin managed to force himself to a halt. A bit dazed from the blow, he was still aware enough to try to feel where Raditz was. A second later he managed to sense the Saiyan from behind himself, but even that knowledge did him little good- as the moment he turned Raditz was already right in front of him, arm poised to strike. Throwing up both of his hands, he was able to catch the punch that would have hit him square in the jaw. The brief surge of optimism Krillin felt was crushed when he saw the wicked smirk adorning Raditz's face.

With the maniacal grin still in place, the larger warrior abruptly swung his arm forward with all his might, sending the bald monk off into the distance at an incredible velocity. Upon doing so he quickly sped after him, and before Krillin could even attempt to correct himself, Raditz slammed his elbow down onto his head like a sledgehammer, causing him to speed downwards, before slamming into the battle ravaged field below.

Despite the force of the blow, and the amount of pain he was in; he had, by some amazing stroke of luck not been seriously injured by the latest onslaught he had been dealt. He figured he might have several bruised ribs, along with several wounds that were bleeding profusely, but was mostly in one piece. The reason, so much as the monk could figure, was that the saiyan had pulled his punches with that last combo-though whether he had done it consciously or not was a mystery.

At any rate, that bit didn't matter. So despite the fact that he could easily move around if he so choose, he instead opted to play off his injuries as worse than they really were. For one, he knew that he would likely be struck down the moment he attempted anything direct, perhaps with enough force to actually incapacitate him, or worse. But the other, and more important aspect was that he hoped, that by appearing to be unconscious, he would get a good chance to use a little trump card of his.

It didn't take long for that part to move along, as in well under a minute Raditz descended to the spot Krillin had crashed into. Smirking at what he had done, he began walking toward the downed warrior in an arrogant fashion; confident that he had completely eliminated him from the fight. The only thing left to do, in his mind was to dispose of the midget for good, so that he would never be able to make a nuisance of himself ever again.

When he was mere inches away, he quickly reached down and grabbed Krillin by the front of his ruined gi. Right as he was about to run him through with his outstretched hand, his scouter went off yet again. He was shocked at the reading, but upon realizing the source, he was utterly gob-smacked. It was coming from inside the space pod, which could only mean one thing.

_Kakarots son!? How in the hell is he putting out that kind of power?_

"Eighteen hundred, impossible for a kid!" he half shouted, before mentally correcting himself. He had seen one other child posses a power like that at a similar age, but that person ranked above the elite. So the fact that a half-breed, with a third class for a father, could have a power that rivaled that of Prince Vegeta when he was the same age completely dumbfounded him.

At that moment, with his foe being inexplicably distracted, Krillin realized that then was the perfect chance to catch him entirely off guard. As fast as he could, he opened a mental link with both Goku and Piccolo.

_"No time to explain, just close your eyes, now!" _he screamed out mentally. And while the connection was very fuzzy; thanks not only to the monks relative inexperience with the ability-but from the pressure he was under-the others still managed to catch the most important bit, and quickly realized what they needed to do.

Krillin then extended his fingers, and brought both hands to either side of his forehead, so that the finger tips from each were barely touching.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

Instantly the entire area for nearly a mile around was lit up by a flash of light, far brighter than the sun appeared when viewed from earth. Even though their eyes had been closed at the time, Goku and Piccolo found their eyesight briefly hampered from the sheer brilliance of the flash.

The effect had been far worse on Raditz, whose eyes were wide open when Krillin had activated the technique.

Howling in pain, he attempted to toss Krillin off to the side, only to be kicked sharply in the jaw. His brain hardly even registered the sensation, as he was far to busy cursing not only pain in his eyes, but at the human who inflicted it.

"What the fuck did you do to me you little bastard?!" he screamed, while inadvertently allowing his aura to flare up. He was able to open his eyes by that point, though doing so did him little good. He could see for a few feet around him, but everything past that seemed to be awash in an unnaturally bright haze. Before he could even try to get his bearings, he was brought back to reality by a sudden, paralyzing burst of pain coursing up and down his spine.

Throughout the entire battle, he had been extremely careful to keep his tail tightly bound to his waist. To keep any of them from exploiting his weakness. But the minute the bald fighter had used that blinding attack on him, everything else was forgotten, as his eyes were subject far greater pain than any he had ever considered possible. To him it was a miracle that he still had his sight. Ever after nearly a minute if felt to him like dozens of white-hot needles were embedded in deep in his retinas; blinking was next to impossible, as it multiplied the sensation many-fold.

It was in this state that he neglected to notice his tail uncurling. It hardly even registered to him that it had began to violently lash behind him. At least until that moment.

Right away he dropped to the ground like a rock, hardly able to even hold his torso up more than a few inches. His sight was returning, and that particular pain was fading, but it was the least of his problems now. Fighting against the nerve impulses that were attempting to make his muscles lock up, he managed to turn his head enough to spot the person who had done this to him. Upon seeing his brother roughly grasping his tail, he was completely overcome with not only fury, but a sense of betrayal. The tail was a Saiyans one true vulnerability, and he couldn't yet find the words to describe the outrage he felt knowing that his brother had dared use such a tactic against him.

It wasn't enough for his brother to reject him, but to humiliate him as well.

He may have tried to get free, and considered making a threat, but at that moment he quickly noticed some numbers on his scouter increasing steadily. Looking off, several hundred feet away he saw the green man, two fingers pressed nearly to his forehead; an aura was actually starting to flare up around him, and it appeared that he was charging up an attack of sorts in his fingertips. But it was how high his power had risen that alarmed him so much.

_2,123._

_2,136_

_2,145_

_Damn it, at this rate whatever it is that he's charging might be able to actually do me in. _Right then-and-there it clicked with Raditz what was happening. He paid little mind to it earlier when green bean had dropped out of the battle, but now he was mentally kicking himself for his misplaced arrogance, which kept him from realizing something was up sooner.

So that had been their plan all along, he should have expected such tactics from warriors who were outmatched. He had been in similar predicaments himself, and had been forced to use his wits to win fights that brawn alone could not; so he should have known from experience what a bunch of weaklings could accomplish, given the proper motivation. He had put too much faith in raw numbers and, because of that he hadn't been fighting smart. Thanks to that, he was in a very bad situation, one that could have easily been avoided.

Before he could get any deeper into his musings, looking at the numbers on the scouter made all the color drain from his face.

_2,278. It's higher than my power now, and it's still rising. If I can't get away, I'm really going to be in deep shit. _Truth be told, if he wasn't in such a bind with his entire body paralyzed, he could have probably been be able to deflect, or at least cancel out what ever attack was about to be fired at him.

"I really wish it didn't have to end like this Raditz, but you brought it all upon yourself!" Goku half yelled to his brother, who was struggling to even look at him.

Looking to Piccolo, Goku couldn't help but be a bit in awe of how much energy he was putting out as he powered up his new attack. Granted, it would take a lot of work before it could actually be practical to use in battle, but that was beside the point. It made his Kamehameha look like a joke, and Piccolo still wasn't done collecting energy; though judging from the fact that his ki's rate of increase was leveling off, he was likely very close gathering all that he needed.

"Wait brother, it doesn't have to be this way!"

Caught completely off guard by the comment, Goku refocused on Raditz, truly curious about what his so-called brother was attempting to pull.

"It shouldn't, you're right about that. But you still took my son, and tried to use him to con me into joining up with you. That's something that is hard to forgive."

"Please, just...just let me go. I swear I'll leave. I'll even make up some lie to the others, so that they never come to this world. I'll tell them that you must have died or something." _Which might not be so much of a lie after this, traitor, _he thought to himself as he struggled to keep his anger in check.

The gears in Goku's mind began turning at hearing this. So far this guy had proven just what kind of person he was, and Goku really wasn't so keen on trusting him. But he still was not the type to allow someone to be killed, knowing they might have the potential to change.

"Why should I believe you?" Goku barked harshly."You already said the things you've done, the people you've killed. Even if it was for a good cause in the long run, that still does not excuse it. How am I supposed to know you'll actually keep your word considering everything that you have done?"

"Can you really do this to me brother? I'm completely helpless now, would you really let him kill me over all this?"

_Power level 2,495...I'm dead if that hits me! _Growing even more desperate, he offered one last plea.

"Please, don't kill me brother, I'll do anything, just let me go!"

_2,507..._

Off in the distance, Piccolo saw that Goku had gotten his brothers tail. He smirked when he saw that it completely disabled him. But then things appeared to be changing. Even with his normally exceptional hearing, the energy that was billowing around him made it difficult to hear much more than a few words at a time; but he could tell almost right away that something wasn't right. He could hear what sounded like Raditz begging for his life, and while Goku appeared adamant on seeing things through initially, it was clear both in his tone and posture that his resolve was dissipating.

He knew Goku could be merciful, perhaps too much so at times; him being alive was a testament to that. But the situations were completely different with this stranger than it had been with him. Back then, both of them were greatly weakened, and Goku had taken the necessary precaution of making sure he was in better shape by eating the larger half of the bean. In addition, he had all of his friends as back up; and any one of them could have easily beaten him in his weakened state.

But it was not the same with Raditz. It took the three of them to even force the bastard to a stand till, and even then winning was unlikely. One on one, he could destroy Goku in a matter of minutes; and as enraged as he likely was, he could likely cripple Goku long before anyone could be of help.

Right then he heard the Saiyan utter one last plea, and that further confirmed what needed to be done.

"God damn you Son Goku, don't you dare let him go, no matter what he says, do not let go!" he boomed. But it was too little, too late. Less than a second later, Piccolo saw Goku begin to relax his hold on the others tail. He knew exactly what was about to happen, and hoped he hadn't acted too late in firing his attack.

Extending his hand, he pointed the two glowing fingers at Raditz, then shouted out the attacks name as a multicolored corkscrew shaped beam shot forth from his fingertips.

"Special Beam Cannon!"

...

He was still unsure if he should believe his brother, when he heard Piccolo shout. With his grip already relaxed, the sound alone startled him, to the point that he let his brother's tail completely slip free. He then saw Piccolo firing the attack, and instinctively leaped into the air to avoid the beam that blazed beneath him.

Immediately he looked below, and to his dismay, saw that his brother had also avoided the attack. Or so he thought, until he saw Raditz clutching his left shoulder, with blood seeping between his fingers.

_Piccolo, _he said mentally.

_What is it Goku? You and your damn sentimentality have really gone too far this time. Now we're all probably going to die thanks to it._

After wiping away a large sweat drop from his forehead, Goku then clenched his fist in agitation. While Piccolo wasn't entirely wrong in his accusation, he had apparently overlooked the fact that it was him shouting that caused him to lose focus and let his brother's tail slip away.

But then again, if he hadn't allowed his thoughts to become so clouded, and had actually been focused he would have never relaxed his hand in the first place. So in that he mentally conceded defeat, and resumed his conversation with Piccolo.

_Maybe, but let's not give up hope so quick. Can you manage to gather enough energy to use that attack again?_

Somewhat surprised at the suggestion, Piccolo still saw no other options remaining. And he knew that even with Krillin's help, the chances of Goku distracting Raditz long enough were slim to none, considering the fact that Saiyan was now fully aware of their plan. All the same, he smirked at how willing Goku was to put himself in such danger, and in his own way Piccolo admired him for it.

Piccolo started gathering energy in his palm, as if to confirm what he was about to say.

_Yeah, I think I can. I don't have the energy left to make it as strong as the first one, so you need to make sure you have him where he __**cannot**__ move. Don't drop the ball this time Son, it's not just me, we're all counting on you to pull this off._

_You can depend on me then. I promise, I'll do whatever it takes..._

* * *

><p>He felt his brother's grip loosen, but instead of attacking he looked straight ahead at the other warrior. Piccolo was already in the motions of firing his attack when Raditz looked at the numbers on his scouter.<p>

_2,568...impossible,_ he thought in terror. He attempted to spin to the side, but he nevertheless felt the searing pain as the attack grazed over his left shoulder; shattering that part of armor in the process.

Grasping his wounded shoulder, he ground his teeth together and glared maliciously up at Goku.

"I don't know how that green friend of yours managed to put so much energy behind that attack of his, but it no longer matters. He'll never get the chance again...and do you know why?" he stated in an unnaturally calm voice, that did more to unsettle Goku that if he were to have shouted out instead. Then slightly louder, he said ,"I'll tell you why, _dear brother_, it's because you fuckers will be dead long before you're able to think up any more plans like that," with a vein bulging on his forehead, he screamed out the rest, "Now prepare yourself Kakarot, because I'm done playing games with you!"

Turning, he immediatly fired a large blast at Piccolo, who had barely began gathering energy; and was completely unable to defend himself or dodge.

Less than a hundred feet before it hit, it was met by a massive blue beam that knocked it off course, sending it flying safely over the horizon.

Looking off into the distance, Raditz saw the shorter warrior floating a few meters above the ground, palms still extended. It was obvious that he had spent most of his energy to save Piccolo, as seconds later he descended abruptly, hardly even able to stand, much less fight.

Smirking, Raditz rushed Goku, with his right fist cranked back. He was astonished to see that not only did his brother catch his punch, but it also seemed that he wasn't even struggling with it. In the few seconds he spent trying to push his hand back it became clear to him.

Normally grabbing a saiyans tail would drain them of their power, but only for a few seconds after it was let go. Apparently something had happened and it was taking longer than normal for his power to come back. He could feel it returning, slowly, but not quick enough to suite his taste.

He saw Goku throwing a punch of his own, and instinctively raised his left arm to block it. The instant their arms collided, a feeling much like an electrical jolt shot up and down the entire limb, causing the warrior to shrink back slightly from the pain. Obviously that beam had done a lot more damage than he first figured; more than likely it had managed to sear a nerve in passing.

Right then, Goku saw his chance and quickly planted a foot into Raditz's chest, knocking him backwards a few feet. In that same second, the older fighter decided to use an under handed strategy of his own, figuring since it had been done to him, two could play at that game.

Spinning around, he slammed an elbow into Goku's back, driving him straight into the ground. Then, when Goku had managed regain his footing, Raditz did something that shocked everyone. He quickly reached out, and grabbed Goku's tail.

Instantly Goku dropped to the ground, much in the same fashion Raditz had done.

"So little brother, do you like how this feels?" mocked Raditz. When he received no response, he simply squeezed harder. "Can't even move can you?" he asked, thinking he knew the answer. Oddly enough, Raditz found that seeing Kakarot that helpless wasn't as pleasing as he thought it would be. It did make him feel better knowing that Kakarot was suffering the same pain that he had moments ago, but for some reason Raditz couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity for him. Deciding it best to ignore the thought he pressed on, "Well isn't that a shame. I guess you could consider this payback for grabbing my tail, worthless traitor."

Feigning a whimper, Goku looked over to Krillin and Piccolo. Both had concerned expressions on their faces, though Piccolo was doing a good job at masking his. He realized that in the heat of battle, Krillin must have somehow forgotten their bought at the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament, where he had tried-and failed- using that strategy to defeat him.

To keep the both of them from jumping in, he quickly opened up a mental link with Krillin.

Almost instantly he heard his friend's confused, panic-stricken voice in his head. Before he could get a chance to utter more than a word, Goku cut him off. _Krillin, calm down. This isn't what it looks like, think back to our fight at the Tournament, when you tried grabbing my tail and you'll remember. You might want to tell Piccolo too, so he doesn't try jumping in, oh and keep acting like you're concerned._

With that Goku broke the link without giving his friend a chance to respond. Right away he could feel his best friend's relief, and he swore he saw Piccolo shaking his head. But staying true to what he requested, Krillin kept up his concerned charade, trying his hardest to trust whatever Goku had planned.

"Well brother, this has been fun, but I think I'll end it now. Unlike you, I'm not going to simply let an opponent go free once I have them at my mercy, so say good bye!" Raditz yelled, right as he prepared to drive a boot into Goku's skull. For a moment Raditz hesitated, conflicted on whether he should actually finish him. Then his thoughts turned to how he felt about Kakarot's betrayal, and any pity he felt quickly gave way to anger. Raising his leg, he prepared to drive his boot into his brothers skull.

Goku saw his chance, and with a smirk, turned around and fired a blast right into his brothers mid section. Taken completely aback, Raditz stumbled backwards, loosing his grip on Goku's tail in the process.

"Wha-But you shouldn't have been able to move," Raditz said, at a loss of words to describe how shocked he truly was.

"I trained my tail, so that it would no longer be such a weakness in a fight. Looks like it paid off..." before Raditz could attack, Goku slammed a foot into his stomach, before spinning around and punching him in the back of his head. After picking himself up, Raditz was forced to go on the defensive as his brother attacked him relentlessly. With his left arm useless, and Kakarot attacking with such ferocity, Raditz found himself at a disadvantage. As he weaved back and forth, he found it difficult to concentrate on the fight at hand as his mind was in a constant state of conflict, torn between family loyalties and one he felt to his Saiyan comrades.

He did not wish for things to have gone as they did, and hated the thought that he might be forced to kill his own blood. In his mind, it would have been much easier if Kakarot had simply cooperated with him from the beginning. On the other hand, he was furious that his brother rejected him and their race. Most of all, he was tired of this battle, and being made to look like such a fool. His opponents were clever, but so was he. Or so he thought, he could have ended this much sooner, but his pride coupled with the thrill of battle prevented him from it. He dreaded to think what Prince Vegeta would say if he were to become aware of his incompetence in this. The thought served to anger him more, but he knew he could not afford to be blinded by his rage.

As he dodged a final kick, Raditz made up his mind that he had had enough. He was a Saiyan warrior, and one of a respectable rank at that. Now was the time for him to live up to that, and to not be the mindless brute that fell right into an enemies ploy . Before his brother could react, Raditz brought up his knee and smashed him in the chin. The force caused Goku to flip as he sailed backwards, with Raditz trailing closely to follow up.

A few seconds later Goku recovered, and managed to avoid a follow-up kick to the throat, but was forced to shield himself by crossing both arms from an energy blast. Before the stinging sensation had a chance to fade, he felt a boot smash directly into the small of his back, sending him plummeting down to the ground.

He managed to collect himself, his heels digging several feet into the ground as he landed. Not even a millisecond later Goku leaped backwards, narrowly avoiding his brother's fist as it plowed into the dirt, kicking up a great amount of dust and grass. Unwilling to take any chances, he rushed Raditz before the latter could even pull his hand free from the ground. The first blow caught Raditz a bit by surprise, as Goku's fist connected sharply with his face. But after only stumbling a few steps backwards, he quickly retaliated by grabbing Goku's arm and headbutting him roughly.

Clutching his bleeding nose, Goku attempted to swipe Raditz's feet from under him, but was quickly tossed to the ground. In a flash he was on his feet, only to be slammed down by another blow to the face. Raditz jumped into the air, intent on driving his knee into Goku's gut, but was knocked to the side when he was dealt a kick to the ribs.

To his surprise he saw Krillin standing a few feet away, gasping for air as he struggled to stand. The surprised look he had on his face was clearly not lost on the monk.

More out of amusement than anything, Raditz smirked at him. It was obvious that he wasn't a threat anymore; if left to his own devices he probably wouldn't even be able to stand more than a few minutes. But as Raditz figured, why not speed up the process.

"I must admire you're determination, human. Too bad you just don't know when to stay down." Raditz said, right before he phased out of sight.

"Damn it Krillin, get out of there!" Goku yelled. He had managed to stand again, though his head was still spinning from the last blow his brother dealt him.

Before Krillin could react, Raditz appeared next to him, and delivered a swift kick to the side of his head, sending him skidding for hundreds of feet across the ground. Turning back he saw Goku rushing at him, narrowly avoiding a ki charged punch to the face. Before Goku could follow up, Raditz slammed an elbow into his throat, before slamming him to the ground.

Before he could make a move to rise, Raditz planted his foot roughly on the upper portion of Goku's chest, pinning him in place.

Looking straight at his brother, Raditz nearly felt pity for him. But as soon as the feeling hit him, it vanished as he thought about how much his sibling had betrayed him and his comrades. Still, he figured he would give him one final chance.

"Last chance brother. Join me now, or die. Please pick the right choice, because I would hate to have to end your life like this." Raditz said, doing his best to keep a neutral expression as he held his boot firmly in place. He hoped that his brother would reconsider, and actually accept the offer. Family bonds meant everything to Saiyans, and he would be lying to himself if he thought he could kill his brother without feelings or remorse.

"My answer is," Goku started to say, pausing only to gasp for air. With the amount of force his brother was exerting on his chest, each breath became a battle, "My answer is the same...the same as before, I'd rather be killed, than to join you and have to murder...innocent people."

Rage, pure rage. Kakarot had gone to far this time. At every turn Kakarot spurned his offer, this was the final straw.

"You're a goddamn, naive fool then!" Raditz bellowed, punctuating each word with an increase in pressure on Goku's chest. At least one rib was fractured, and Raditz showed no sign of letting up, "If that's your choice, get ready to die!"

At that moment, he drew back on the amount of force he was applying, as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow. A sudden explosion, and the frantic beeping of his scouter caused his eyes to bug out, and his head to snap in the direction of his space pod. Rather, where his space pod once was. _Kakarots son!_

"I-Impossible, it would take a power lever of over two thousand to blow up one those pods," He pressed the button, and he could feel the sweat begin to trickle down his face when he saw the result, "T-two thousand six hundred, there is no way that's correct..." Mentally, he cursed himself for brushing off the earlier reading so casually.

Goku also took notice of his son's burst of power, and was taken aback. He remembered very well the power he displayed against Garlic Junior, but this showing was in a league of its own. Still, he could tell that device over his brother's eye was picking up on the power, simply by judging from the horrified expression on his face. So not wanting to pass up the chance, he decided to act immediately.

Placing his hand on his brothers leg, Goku put all the strength he could muster into shoving him backwards. Then as Raditz was off balance, Goku quickly leaped up and slammed an elbow into his chest, sending him spinning to the side. Landing on his feet, Raditz was about to turn back to Goku, but a sudden shout stopped him from doing so.

"Stop hurting them, now!"

He looked back, only to see that it had come from his nephew. Less than a second later an aura flared to life around the boy, and he charged head first at Raditz. One last look at his scouter revealed that Gohan's power had actually increased further.

_2,702...unbelievable. _Had he not been so stunned, he would have taken to the sky the instant he saw the kid move; in the second it took him to regain his composure it was too late, and the brat was already on him, slamming head first into his gut.

The blow shattered his armor along with several ribs, and caused him to cough up a huge mouthful of blood as he flew back, slamming roughly into the ground.

Gohan, for his part, blacked out almost instantly, crashing a few feet away from his uncle. After a few seconds he came to, shakily climbing to his feet, as if in a daze.

As Goku looked at his son, he was once again amazed at the power he had. But time was short, and he knew the blow was far from lethal to someone as strong as Raditz.

"Gohan quick, get out of here before he gets up-" His warning came too little, too late, as Raditz had managed to recover from the hit in a matter of seconds. He was clutching his stomach, and his ki had taken a huge nosedive, but it did little to mitigate the danger of the situation. Even weakened, Goku knew that Raditz was probably more than a match for him, but at the moment it was his son that was in the most danger.

Walking towards the now trembling child, Raditz clicked the scouter, curious on whether the kid's power had dropped or not. After reading the result, he smirked evilly. _92, back to normal again. Looks like his power relies on his emotions, to bad for him._

_"_That hit took a lot out of me, brat. You're little power up was impressive, but now it's gone, which means," Raditz said, as a vein bulged on his neck. "Which means you're as good as dead!"

Sprinting forward, he delivered a chop to the side of Gohan's head. The force knocked him out instantly, in addition to sending him flying several yards away. Not wanting to give him another opportunity, a ball of ki sprang to life in the palm of Raditz's hand; the kid was a threat, and he had injured him badly, so in his mind he couldn't afford to take any more chances. He had already taken too many with these people. In the back of his mind he hated what he was about to do, but as it was he could see no other way.

In those few seconds, Goku saw that he only had one option remaining. If he attacked his brother outright, it might very well end with him being incapacitated in a matter of minutes; which would make his son and Krillin sitting ducks, and leave Piccolo wide open to attack as well. That attack of his could easily kill Raditz, but he would never be able to hit him with it, unless Raditz was held in place. Before it wouldn't have been an option, but after the blow Gohan landed on him, Raditz's power was much closer to his own.

Before Raditz could fire the blast to destroy Gohan, Goku rushed forward. He quickly put hims arms beneath Raditz's and got him in a grappling hold.

"What the hell!" Raditz snapped, baffled at his brother's choice of action. However, after struggling for a moment, he quickly figured out why; his one arm was useless and he had several broken ribs from the blow his nephew delivered, greatly hindering his ability to move, "Damnit Kakarot, let go of me now!"

Completely ignoring his brother for the moment, Goku instead focused on opening a mental link with Piccolo.

_"Piccolo!" _he said frantically_. "How much longer is that attack going to take, I can't hold him forever."_

_"About another thirty seconds or so...wait a moment, what are you trying to do Son?" _Piccolo replied, unsure of what Goku was trying to do. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that whatever Son was up to, wouldn't end well for him.

_"Well Piccolo, you said it yourself. You told me to make sure I can keep him from avoiding your attack, and this is the only option I can see,"_ Goku said mentally, _"And I already told you, I would do whatever it takes to stop him...regardless of what happens to me."_

_"Even if it means dying!?"_ Piccolo questioned mentally, allowing more emotion to slip into his tone than he intended. In his head, he already knew the answer.

"_Yes."_ Goku replied back, before cutting the mental link.

He could still sense Piccolo's apprehension, and was a bit surprised by it. He knew Piccolo had changed a lot, but even after training with him for over a year, the green man could still astonish him with his actions, even if they weren't direct. After a few extra seconds, it became obvious to him that Piccolo had gathered more than enough for the attack, and with each passing second he could feel his own strength ebbing away.

Pushing his fears of death aside, he took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Raditz one final time. "Damnit Piccolo, I can't hold him any longer, you have to fire it now!" Goku roared.

Now, for some reason, Raditz felt...and regret? Being afraid to face death was expected, but he was sure what it was that he should be regretful over.

"Wait brother, you don't have to do this-"Raditz started to say, before being cut off by his scouter beeping. _Da-damn...2,352...last thing I needed to see._

* * *

><p><em>I guess this is it then, <em>thought Piccolo. He wasn't looking forward to what he was about to do, but there was no other option. Years ago he would have been overjoyed to have Son in such a predicament, but now the thought made him sick to his stomach. _I really have come a long way since then..._

He had started off as just another of his sire's puppets, full of hatred and malice. While he lacked the pure essence of evil that Daimao had, the dark thoughts and memories bestowed upon him by his sire to guide him would have all but ensured that he would be doomed to follow the same path. But after that battle with Son Goku, something inside him broke. He found himself less focused on hatred and destruction, and more on his true purpose in life. It took him years to realize it, but he owed Son a debt that could never be fully repaid. Were it not for Goku and his son, he would still be a pawn of the Demon King. And that to him would be a fate worse than death.

So while he found the man annoying at times, he held great respect for him. On top of that, something he'd rather be tortured than ever confess to, was that he considered Son a friend. Even if it was to stop such a great threat, and at Goku's own demand, Piccolo still could not shake the sense of guilt that was coming over him. He felt that no matter what the reason, what he was doing amounted to little more than murder. Perhaps it was because of that, or the connection he felt to Gohan, that he planned on leading the search to collect the dragonballs, to revive him when this was over. With any luck-and himself assisting-, the deranged fool would be alive again in a matter of weeks.

That thought made him laugh to himself, as he imagined what Daimao's reaction would be to this; for the demon to see his son accomplish what was originally set out for him, only to turn around and undo it all by helping bring Goku back to life. He would be tempted to sell his soul, if only to see the reaction his sire would undoubtedly have.

In an instant his mind snapped back to the task at hand, as he heard Goku yell at him to fire his attack. With a grimace, he adjusted his aim, and prepared to unleash the blast. Reservations be damned, he had to do do this.

"Special Beam Cannon!" he boomed, as the violet corkscrew shaped blast hurtled towards Raditz and Goku.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Goku (Slightly fatigued*): 1,498

Piccolo*: 1,497. (First Special Beam canon): 2,568 (Second Special Beam Canon): 2,352.

Krillin*: 1,201

Raditz*: 2,245. 1,500 and rising (Recovering from having his tail grabbed), (Injured by Gohan): 1,802

Gohan: (Rage):2,702. 92 (Normal base)

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><p><em>Beta read by lilpumpkingirl.<em>

_And as always, continue to read, review and criticize where needed._


	6. More Saiyans?

__**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and it's copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more, nothing less.**__

_A/N: Another chapter posted, another deadline missed. I again apologize for the length of time between updates, but I have had a lot going on in life. Stress in general has kept my motivation low, though as a bit of good news, I am about 700 words into the 7th chapter. Hopefully, this time I'll have it ready by February. _

_I'm also going to go back and retroactively add power levels for all the fights in previous chapters. _

* * *

><p>Right before Goku's strength would have faltered, Piccolo fired his attack. With a triumphant cry escaping his lips and filling the air, the blinding corkscrew attack ripped through the space between the two warriors until it collided, ripping through flesh and bone. For a few seconds they stood, with blood oozing out through the charred wounds in each of their chests. After another tense second Raditz took a few shaky steps forward before ultimately collapsing a few yards from where his brother fell.<p>

Raditz gasped from the pain in his chest and he coughed up blood. He then forced himself to look at the wound, a circular hole nearly half a foot in diameter, right below his heart. Both lungs were severely damaged, and between the sight of those injuries and the tremendous pain he was in, Raditz knew he wasn't going to survive. He figured he had a few minutes left, at best. If he had been able to get to a space pod, he would have activated the built in healing mechanism, which would stabilize his condition until he could be properly treated in a regeneration tank.

But he knew that the chances of that happening were nil. He could barely even feel his limbs, and he doubted he had the strength to crawl even if he could. He gritted his teeth at the thought, as he realized that even if he could move it would do him no good. Kakarot's spawn had blown his pod up in a fit of rage, so he was doomed no matter what.

Thinking of that made him turn his thoughts back to Kakarot.

He felt angry at his humiliating loss, with the string of betrayal only adding fuel to the fire. His brother had turned his back on their entire race, which was bad enough. But on top of that, he had proved himself a traitor to his own blood, an act nigh unthinkable in Saiyan culture. Family bonds were the only thing that rivaled obedience to the king and his council, it was considered treason to defy the elite, but if an order put one against their own kin, the charge could be absolved on that basis alone. The fact that Kakarot had done so hurt him greatly, and not only in the physical sense.

Yet as Raditz's pondering deepened, he began to realize something more. Kakarot was not the only one that had betrayed his family. The thought shook him that _he_ had done a poor job in attempting to recruit his brother. He expected his Kakarot to be like any other Saiyan, and to have not lost his memory. With that thought, he neglected to even consider the possibility that living on a different world with no knowledge or contact from any others of his race, and that being exposed to wildly different customs might have greatly impacted his entire persona. The fact that Kakarot had formed attachments, and fathered a child with a native was something he never really thought to consider either.

He had taken his nephew from Kakarot, and had attempted to use the boy as collateral to force him into doing what _he_ wanted him to do. In doing so, he had completely ruined any chance of his brother ever wanting to help him and the others. Thinking on that, it was he who was really in the wrong here. Kakarot had simply been trying to protect his adopted planet and his offspring.

And in all of this, Raditz had not only gotten himself killed, but Kakarot would soon be joining him in death. Knowing that he was responsible caused a massive wave of guilt to pass through Raditz, but with his pride in the way, he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to act on it before his time came to an end.

It was then that he picked up the scent of blood, his and Kakarot, and for some reason, it only served to make him even more nauseous. Shortly after, voices began drifting to his ears, yanking him out of his thoughts. From what he could make out they seemed to be having some sort of disagreement. Upon focusing more in the proper direction, he realized that it was between his brother and his green companion. Raditz knew that the man wasn't from Earth, but exactly what planet he was from, was something the Saiyan couldn't quite remember.

"Just don't do it!" Raditz heard a voice croak out suddenly, whom he quickly recognized as his brothers. He was confused for a moment, until he heard the other speak up.

"I don't see why you don't want me to just finish that bastard off, but I suppose there is no harm in it," remarked Piccolo as he cast a glance at Raditz, before resuming, "After all, he doesn't look like he'll live much longer..."

After what he had done so far, the fact that Kakarot was telling the other fighter not to kill him on the spot was a bit surprising to the elder Saiyan. Of course, he was going to die anyway, and for a moment he thought that his brother was only doing so in order to prolong his suffering. He chuckled quietly to himself, as he realized how absurd that thought really was. In the brief time that he had been around him, Raditz could tell that he was not someone who would enjoy seeing others suffer, even if they had tried to kill him. In fact, his brother struck him as the opposite of that; he would probably be the type who would sooner try and make friends with an enemy than see them suffer or get killed.

When Raditz realized that the green man was casting a rather angry glance his way, he realized that his laughter must not have been as quiet as he thought. "And just what do you find so amusing, fool?" Piccolo questioned with a scowl on his face. "You're probably getting a kick out of the fact that that you aren't the only one dying, and that Son had to give his life just to help put you down." At that, the scowl on Piccolo's face gave way to a confident smirk. "Hate to break it to you, but the joke is on you. As much as the thought pains me...Goku will probably be back in under a month, and you will be nothing more than worm food," He remarked confidently.

"Impossible!" Raditz shouted, more at the sheer absurdity of what he had heard than anything else. "H-how can this be...how can you bring the dead back?" All of a sudden dreading the answer. He had heard of a few... _methods_, and they were not pleasant to think of.

At first Piccolo was tempted to tell the Saiyan that it was none of his business, but against his better judgement he decided that there would be no harm in telling him. He was dying after all.

"Consider this a dying request then. On this planet, we have these things called dragonballs. There are seven in total, and once gathered together, a dragon is summoned that can grant any wish. So long as it does not go beyond the power of the creator. The other fighter, the one who Son claims as his best friend is proof." Piccolo said with a smirk, as he gestured towards Krillin's wounded form. "Many years ago one of my _sire's_ other _offspring _killed him, only because of those is he alive today."

That was certainly a shock to Raditz, to know that such things could even exist, and on such a backwater world at that. He had heard rumors of magical artifacts that could grant any desire. Such folklore was common throughout the universe in one form or another, but up until now he had dismissed it as such. Superstitious nonsense, good for nothing more than pathetic fairy tales. Now, he was being forced to reevaluate his prior stance on the issue.

If they had knew of these so called dragonballs sooner, defeating Frieza would have been so much simpler. In thinking of his comrades, he realized something. His scouter had been on the entire time, and probably was transmitting as well. He knew they would be interested, and would likely want revenge as well. This was confirmed as seconds later, he heard his prince's voice come across the earpiece. It was hard to make out, full of static, but the message was clear.

Vegeta was angry, not only his defeat, but at Kakarot and the earthlings as well. Raditz attempted to respond, but apparently that part of the scouter was damaged from the battle, the transmission from Vegeta probably finished shorting that component out. After not receiving a response, he heard Vegeta contacting Nappa, angrily telling him that they were to leave Frieza Planet #1190 immediately, and to set a course for TerrErde, or Earth. When Nappa asked the reason, Vegeta said something along the lines of revenge and Dragonballs. After that the link went completely dead, and the screen blanked out.

Raditz knew the distance would take roughly 185 Abson Cycles, or just over an Earth year, for them to arrive.

Immediately he felt a bit of guilt over it. Why, he could not be certain. Even if this was true and Kakarot was brought back, he would be doomed to die again at the hands of Vegeta and Nappa. None of those fools would stand a chance, and Raditz could not find any joy in that knowledge. So against both his instincts and sense of camaraderie, he decided to warn them of their fate. He at least owed Kakarot that much.

"F-fools. Don't think that...that this is over by any means." Raditz coughed out. The blood loss was already getting to him, and he knew his time was running out.

Piccolo, who had been smirking before, grimaced. "What are you talking about, what more of a threat could you be to us now?"

"None. But the other two, they are s-several times stronger, than I am. Th-they heard the entire battle, and about the dragonalls..." Raditz said painfully, as he motioned to his scouter, "This device on my face...is good for more than reading ener-energy levels. It is also a communicator...they heard everything. Even about the dragonballs...the last thing I heard was they wanted revenge...and a wish...they will be here in...about one of your planets years."

At this all the color drained from Piccolo's face, turning it to a sickly shade of green. Two more Saiyans, and each one far stronger than the one they had just faced...He _knew_ he should have ignored Goku's request and simply blasted the long haired warrior. It would have saved them a lot of trouble, though he couldn't keep from kicking himself mentally. As Piccolo thought briefly, they probably would have had to deal with the Saiyans eventually, as they would probably have come for revenge sooner or later anyway. But he should have never mentioned the Dragonballs, no matter what. If they weren't going to show up before, the temptation of a wish definitely enticed them. And after Garlic Junior, he did not want to ever risk anyone with evil intentions making any sort of wish.

Before he could make up his mind on whether to put the mortally wounded fighter out his misery, he heard Goku stirring. Apparently he had heard everything Raditz had said, and was going to add his own two cents.

"Raditz," Goku said, coughing feebly, "Wh-why are you telling us this, you could have just let them...let them take us all...by surprise...so why?"

Listening closely, he heard his brother laughing quietly. But before he could get a chance to ask why, Raditz spoke again, "Because I couldn't bear the thought of you being brought." for a moment he paused, hacking up a mouthful of blood, "B-being brought back, only to get slaughtered by my vengeful comrades."

"Wait, what!" Piccolo said as he fell face first onto the ground.

"Yeah, why would you give a damn...considering you've been trying to kill us all this wh-whole time." Goku chocked out, each word harder to speak than the last.

"We...we are brothers, Kakarot. Whether you like it or not, nothing can change that. I never wanted any of this to happen, I didn't want to see you die...much less be the cause of it," he stopped talking briefly, as a tremor passed through his body. "You...y-you're no traitor Kakarot. We are family...and I put my own ambitions before that, something that is punishable by death in our culture...and don't let this fool you into thinking I'm happy about dying but...I suppose this, in some twisted way...is justice."

A few feet away, after picking himself up, stood Piccolo. He had to admit that _that_ was very unexpected. He could tell that the Saiyan wasn't pure evil, but considering his actions, Piccolo didn't want to give him the benefit of a doubt. But this development blew his mind. His ears pricked as Raditz began speaking once more.

"Kakarot, I have one...one last request for you." He could no longer move his arms or legs, or even turn his neck to see if his brother acknowledged his statement. Everything was getting cold and numb, so he knew he had to make his last words count. "I can't expect you to forget any of this, brother...your blood is on my hands today, even if I didn't kill you myself...but please..." he said, his voice becoming faint and rough. A single tear fell from his eye, as he spoke for the last time, "...please, forgive me," it came out as a whisper, but both Goku and Piccolo heard it plain as day. Slowly his eyes slipped shut, and he exhaled once more.

To Piccolo, this development only served to confound him. Normally he would consider such emotional displays a sign of weakness, but this was different. To actually do as he did probably took a lot more strength than remaining silent, based on Piccolo's observation of his character. Piccolo grunted as he realized that his guess was far more accurate than he ever imagined. The warrior whose life he had just ended, probably was not all that bad of a person deep down. It was likely the sheer randomness of birth, living the life that he had, that caused Raditz to become the person he was. From this, Piccolo was quickly able to draw a lot of parallels from his own life to that of the Saiyan, and nearly shivered when he realized that had events unfolded differently, he could have ended up as Raditz had.

Cracking his neck, Piccolo pulled himself out of those thoughts. At the moment, they had far more pressing matters to attend to. Goku was dying, and Piccolo dreaded having to deal with the man's friends, and explaining what was to come. He snapped his head when he saw Krillin seemingly appear from nowhere, right next to him. Out of reflex, he got into a fighting stance, only to fall out of it once he saw that the shrimp was more focused on Son than anything else.

Krillin quickly bent down, gently grasping his best friend's hand. Before Krillin say a word, Goku spoke up, anticipating that he would otherwise blame Piccolo for what happened. "K-Krillin...it isn't what it looks like, this was my idea. It was the only way to finish my brother off," Goku then hesitated, as he thought over the last couple of minutes of Raditz's life.

The monk turned his gaze to Piccolo for a moment, with a fierce look in his eyes. "I'm going to take Goku's word on this one, but don't assume that I'm going to trust you completely. I still remember you trying to kill him back at the tournament, so how can I be sure that you didn't just agree to that plan in order to get him out of your way?"

Piccolo clenched his fists tightly, both out of anger and guilt. Once he was sure he had all his emotions in check, he gritted his teeth for a moment, before speaking. "There _was_ no other way, and you are a damn fool if you think otherwise. You knew how outmatched we were, and that something like this could have happened. But there are more pressing matters at hand then me proving my intentions to you!" Piccolo said as his voice became harsh.

Krillin took a step backwards, though it was more do to Piccolo's tone than any actual fear of him. It was going to be hard to forget the past, and harder to still to trust him, but Krillin figured that with time he might be able to. But he didn't let those thoughts linger for long, as his mind quickly went back to the fact that Goku was dying.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, as he turned back to Goku. Krillin knew with an injury like that, he was going to pass in a matter of minutes. "The first thing we need to do is start looking for the Dragonballs, with any luck we'll be able to have you back in no time." When he noticed the look on both of their faces, Krillin felt his joy deflating like a balloon that had been ruptured, clearly something wasn't right.

"We...have bigger problems than that Krillin," Goku whispered as he struggled to stay conscious.

Wanting to get straight to the point, and to keep Goku from wasting any more energy speaking, Piccolo cut him off, "Turns out our friend here wasn't the only Saiyan out there." Piccolo gestured to the body of the dead Saiyan. "Before he died he seemed to have a change of heart, and informed us that there were two others listening in on the battle. In a year or so they will arrive, and if his word is to be trusted, they are both many times stronger than him."

"You can't be...you can't be serious, I mean, we barely managed to beat this one," Krillin stammered out, as his face turned white in panic, "How can we stand any chance if the others are that much stronger!"

"We train," Piccolo said as if the answer were that black and white. In reality, he had no idea if any amount would be enough, but it was a hindsight better than sitting back and waiting to die. "In whatever spare time we've got, _we_ will find the dragonballs, and we will wish Goku back. With all of us, I think we _might_ have a chance." Piccolo said grimly.

They turned back to Goku, who began coughing heavily, blood dripping from his mouth each time.

"Goku!" Krillin stammered out, struggling to hold back tears.

"Its okay Krillin...every...everything will be fine, I'll be back in no time." Goku said as he smiled halfheartedly. Inside he was terrified of actually dying, but for his friend's sake he tried to keep a positive demeanor. "Pi-Piccolo, how is Gohan?" he asked, as he tilted his head enough to see the other. By this time Piccolo had managed to scoop the boy up, and after quickly inspecting him for injuries, he smirked. "The runt is fine, better than I'd expect after the hit your brother dealt him. He's tough, at least you passed one worthwhile trait down to him." he said, the subtle jab tongue in cheek. As he said that an idea came to him, and he had little doubt Son would find any issue with it.

"But, after seeing his power today, I think he could help us greatly in the coming battle. So if you don't have any issues, I will take him, to train personally." said Piccolo. Beside him, Krillin nearly fell over from shock. He wanted to protest, but decided to keep silent for the moment, it would be Goku's decision, and he couldn't help but think that Piccolo would honor his request if Goku refused. Though if he accepted the offer, Krillin knew _he_ would feel some jealousy, consider his history with Goku as opposed to Piccolo.

After only a few seconds thinking it over, Goku reached his decision. "I...think that it would be for the best...but it wouldn't hurt for you to t-take him and train with the others too. But there is one...one condition." Goku said with a wry smile; a smile that made Piccolo dread the answer. "You...you have to be the one to...to explain it to Chi-Chi."

"WHAT!" Piccolo boomed, his voice echoing for nearly a mile around. Krillin nearly burst out laughing, until a particularly nasty glare from Piccolo silenced him. "Fine, but don't be surprised if there is a second person being brought back with the dragonballs in a few weeks time." Piccolo said with a frown. Of course, the threat was empty; after all, he didn't want to deprive Gohan of both parents in a single day.

At the exchange, Krillin raised an eyebrow in amusement, while Goku simply shook it off. He knew and trusted Piccolo well enough to know that he wouldn't act on what he said.

In an instant, he felt his limbs go completely numb, in time for him to hack up another mouthful of blood. "I-I guess this is it...both of you, take care of my son, a-and the planet while I-I'm gone." One more spasm, and he knew it was nearly over. In those last seconds his thoughts turned to his deceased brother. "Piccolo, one final...one final t-thing. Give...give my brother...give Raditz..a proper burial...h-he wasn't evil...ju-just misguided..."

Less than thirty seconds later, after a few more ragged breaths, Goku passed on. The moment his ki faded into nothing, Krillin collapsed onto the ground next to him sobbing violently. Piccolo turned the other direction, straining to keep his emotions in check. After a few moments Krillin managed to pull himself together, and stood back up to face a stoic looking Piccolo.

Before either if them could break the awkward silence they were distracted by several energy signatures approaching, from two different directions. A few seconds later a small plane popped into view, before landing a few hundred yards away. And on the horizon, both Tien and Chaoutzu's ki could clearly be felt. More than likely, they had sensed Raditz's arrival and the subsequent battle. _Idiots, pity they couldn't have made it a few minutes sooner...perhaps Son wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself..._Piccolo thought bitterly.

Still, it would do them no good to dwell on what if's. The fact of the matter was that Goku was dead, and that they only had about a year to prepare themselves for foes far stronger than Raditz.

Yamcha stumbled out first, followed by Master Roshi, Oolong and Bulma. From the looks on each of their faces, it was apparent that they were well aware of what the outcome of the battle had been. While Krillin rushed over to explain to the others all that had transpired, Piccolo simply crossed his arms and closed his eyes, momentarily losing himself in thought.

Several seconds passed, and Tien and Chaoutzu touched down, only a few meters from where Goku's body lay. Tien had felt the battle, practically from start to finish, and with each passing second he cursed himself for his life of seclusion. If he had been closer, he could have probably made a difference. Now, as he actually observed the aftermath, his blood began to boil. He was aware that Piccolo was fighting on the same side as Goku and Krillin against some unknown threat, but he held no trust for the Demon Kings spawn. The last he knew, Piccolo still wanted to pursue his father's goal of first killing Goku, then ruling the world. Upon seeing the bodies of Goku and Raditz, and the wounds that killed them, his mind began piecing together a picture that made perfect sense...to him.

Piccolo wanted Goku dead, so the perfect way to for him to get rid of him would be to play to his heroic nature, and trick him into sacrificing himself to take out the only other threat to _his_ rule. No doubt he lied to the others, why else would they have not taken any action against him?

_But I won't be fooled so easily. _Tien thought, as he began powering up.

Finally taking notice of his surroundings, Piccolo's eyes quickly snapped to the two newcomers. "Piccolo!" Tien shouted out, as his white hot aura sprang to life around him. "I won't let you get away with this, murderer!" he yelled, charging forward. At full strength, Piccolo would have been able to avoid what was coming with little trouble. But as exhausted and injured as he was from the battle, he was only able to mutter a brief curse before Tien's clenched fist struck his face, sending him crashing into the dirt several hundred feet away. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, before angrily getting into a fighting stance. That however quickly proved unnecessary, as Krillin and Yamcha managed to grab Tien before he could make another move.

Gritting his teeth, Piccolo darted forwards, till he was less than a meter from the others. "Idiot!" Piccolo roared as he directed his gaze towards the triclops, who matched it with a fiery glare of his own. "You don't have a clue as to what is going on, yet you still rush in and blindly attack me!" he spat.

"You've always wanted Goku dead haven't you Piccolo." Tien growled, "From what I've seen you managed that, but don't think I'm going to let you get away with-"

"Tien stop!" Yamcha said, to the shock of everyone present. Of all the people to jump to Piccolo's defense, he was probably one of the most unlikely. "I know it's hard to believe, I'm having trouble myself, but Piccolo didn't want this outcome anymore than we would have. He's not the monster that Daimao was, not even close. And from what Krillin told me, there was no other way.." Yamcha said, trailing off as he found himself at a loss for words.

"It's true Tien, I was fighting that guy too...and believe me, it was the only option we had at the time. We just, we couldn't see any other way." Krillin said, clenching his fist in anger and sadness.

By that point, Tien had started to collect himself, and realized somewhat late, that he had acted a bit too rashly. Attacking Piccolo without even asking questions was where he probably crossed the line. He knew first hand how wicked Daimao was, and had witnessed this incarnation's actions at the tournament years back, when he was still adamant in following in his sires footsteps. He really had not been in contact with the others much since then, so it was only natural that he expect the worse from Piccolo, was it not? Then again, as he thought on the matter more, the Piccolo before him did not seem anywhere near as ruthless as his father, not even back then.

His goal might have been bad, but he followed all the tournament rules up until the end...even when he fought Krillin, there was no needless cruelty. True he ended up humiliating him at the end, but he made no effort to take take anyone's life until he fought Goku. Try as he might, if it had been Daimao in the same setting, Tien couldn't see more than a round or two going by before the arena became a bloodbath.

He wasn't going to let his guard down, and he might never learn to trust him, but he could at least accept that he had misjudged Piccolo greatly. As he powered down, he turned to Piccolo.

"Guess I owe you a bit of an apology-", he started to say, before Piccolo interrupted.

"Save your damn nonsense for another day. There are far more important matters at hand right now. The dead guy over there, as you might of guessed is not exactly from Earth. He said he was from a race called Saiyans, and to top it off, he is Goku's older brother."

Following that, Piccolo went into a general rundown of exactly what happened that day, and of the threat yet to come, all the while trying his best to keep it as brief as possible. Those who had sensed, but not participated in the fight against Raditz dreaded fighting his vastly stronger allies, were determined to turn their fear and apprehension into additional motivation in order to further their training. And each noted that while their prospects were not all that great, in their own ways they all looked forward to the challenge ahead, a trait no doubt acquired from spending extended periods of time around Goku. Not everyone was keen on Piccolo training Gohan, but once Piccolo mentioned that he would allow the boy to train with the others, and to even spend a few days each month with his mother, they felt more at ease. A laugh was even shared when Piccolo grudgingly, and with great shame, informed them of the conditions Goku gave him in order to train the child.

Piccolo managed to tell the entire story in under ten minutes, though it felt considerably longer, especially to him. It was agreed that they would begin the search for the dragonballs the next day, with the goal of collecting all seven in about a months time.

Before they could begin preparations to depart, a very strange thing occurred, as Goku's entire body grew transparent before being enveloped in an unearthly white light. No one had the chance to take a closer look, as within a few seconds his form had disappeared entirely.

"Whoa, did anyone else see that?" Yamcha asked, not realizing how hard it would have been for someone to actually miss.

"Of all the stupid-how the hell could we not have seen THAT..._ignorant_ _human_." Piccolo growled, with the last words coming out under his breath. He knew who was responsible for this, and he had mixed feelings about that individual. "Kami. This is his doing, doubt about it. He must have something special in mind if he is willing to meddle this far into mortal affairs." Piccolo said with a thin smirk, that quickly have way to a frown as he thought more into it.

"Then again, his fate and possibly the entire planet is at stake here, so is the logical thing to do. _Though why he couldn't have done so after Daimao_..." he said, before cutting himself off abruptly. That subject was a very sore matter between him and the guardian, one which he didn't intend to discuss with Son's ragtag group of friends. He had only mentioned it a scant few times to Goku, so he couldn't figure out why he nearly let something so personal slip so easily.

Disregarding the matter, Piccolo noticed that Gohan was finally starting to stir. Not wishing to have to tell him about his father right then, more over he was afraid of anyone seeing him show any inkling of kindness, he quickly scooped the boy up and tucked him below his left arm.

"As much as I would like to start training this very minute, I think at least tonight should be spent resting. You cretins would do well to follow my example in this, it's been hell for each of us. Can't go killing ourselves before those Saiyans even show up."

He started to turn away, before remembering something Goku asked of him. Gritting his teeth, he turned and fired a small blast a short ways away from Raditz's body, forming a hole a few meters deep. Wasting no time, and ignoring the expressions on his audience's faces, which ranged from mild amusement to thinly veiled disgust and terror, he sped over to where Raditz was. He then grabbed the Saiyan up and leaped over to the still smoking hole in the ground. Before he dropped the body in the hole, he saw the eyepiece the Saiyan was wearing, and remembered that the annoying blue haired woman had an affinity for technology like that. He quickly snatched it off of Raditz's face, then dropped him into the makeshift grave.

Focusing a bit, he conjured up enough dirt to cover the hole completely, before speeding over to Krillin.

Before the monk could protest, Piccolo roughly forced the scouter into his hand."Give this to that women over there. It seems like something that would interest her...might come in handy too if she can figure out how it works."

Turning on his heel, he quickly gathered his ki and sped off into the distance; and he dreaded, perhaps more than the Saiyans themselves, what he had to do next.

* * *

><p>He knew he was dead. There was no room for doubt there, though it was nothing like what he expected it to be. The moment he passed, he felt a sense of disembodiment, like being submerged in water while simultaneously being flung at near light speed. Then everything went black, and for several moments remained that way. He almost wondered if this was deemed his fate, to be stuck in limbo forever. The thought that there was no afterlife occurred to him, and that for all intents and purposes he had ceased to exist.<p>

But that feeling was shattered when he was blinded by a sudden flash, when his vision returned, he saw what appeared to be some great building, with a most particular architecture, in front of him. His sense of hearing then returned suddenly, in full, and he nearly had to cover his ears due to the din. Looking around, he saw what appeared to be other souls, materialized in a plethora of ways. Some appeared to be little more that formless clouds, while a few others, who like himself, possessed a completely formed body. The majority however were in-between these two states, some having a fully formed, yet transparent body; others were little more than a head, a set of arms, and a wispy cloud like tail. Those were the most disturbing to him, and he quickly went to scratch his head, only to bump his hand on some strange object.

It wasn't solid in the sense he was used to, but it had a presence very much like matter in a solid state. Glancing up, he saw a golden halo over his head, and upon a quick scan of all the other souls within view, he saw that was a common trait among them all, though his was less see through and a bit darker in hue.

As he was marveling at the sight, he was suddenly shoved forward roughly. Before he could turn to face the aggressor, a cough caught his attention. Looking forward, he saw some sort of ogre, in standing in front of him with a stern look on it's face. Blue skin, with a medium build, it, or he, was wearing a strange blue colored uniform and a black hat.

"Hey buddy, King Yemma has been calling your name for the past minute," the ogre, who appeared to be some sort of security, said. "I know this is a lot to take in, but save it for later. King Yemma is a very busy guy, and really does not like to be kept waiting. So move along."

A few steps later, and he was inside the building, staring at what had to be the biggest desk he had ever seen. The thing towered at least a dozen feet over him, and the occupant seated behind it was even more imposing. The one the guard spoke of, King Yemma was a giant, with pinkish skin and a full beard covering most of his face. Strangely enough, he was dressed in a purple, almost business like suit.

Without even glancing down, King Yemma quickly placed a pair of glasses in front of his eyes, and began reading out of a book that seemed to appear from thin air.

"Raditz, son of Bardock and Takasha...and brother of Son Goku, though I suppose you would know him better by his birth name, Kakarot."

Sighing deeply, this was one of those cases that made King Yemma dislike his job from time to time. The Saiyan before him wasn't evil, but with the crimes he had committed, there was no other sentence that could be given. Yemma spent what felt like nearly a half hour going over all of Raditz's greatest accomplishments, both good and bad. At the end, he closed the book, then removed his glasses and placed them upon it.

"And I wish it wasn't this, but with your actions during life, I have no choice." Yemma said, with a slightly apologetic look on his face. "While I can see that there are mitigating issues, in that most of your crimes were done under the direction of Frieza and his brother, but those factors do not absolve you of your crimes. Your actions against your brother do not entirely help your case, though in warning him of the threat the other Saiyans pose you may very well have ended up saving a great deal more lives." _And me a few tons of paper work._ King Yemma added to himself. "Do you have any thing to add, or are you ready to hear my verdict?"

Of course, Raditz knew what that was going to be, with the life he lived. And strangely enough, he felt that he deserved it for the things he had done to others. There may have been a point in existence that he would have argued, perhaps even attempted to assault this judge of the afterlife, but not now. His mind drifted back to Kakarot, and what was to happen to him.

"I think I'm ready, but I have one thing to ask of you." Raditz said somberly, as Yemma gave him a quizzical look, one that suggested that he knew far more than he was letting on. "My brother, do you know what is going to happen with him?"

"Of course I know. Something very special is in the works for him." Yemma said, as a wry smile formed on his lips. "He is going to receive training from the Lord of Worlds, in order to combat your Saiyan allies. Assuming he is up to the challenge of course."

Before Raditz could inquire deeper, King Yemma cut him of with a sudden hand motion. "But enough on his fate, you should be more concerned about yours." Yemma said sternly. "For the billions of lives you have taken, a great many of which were innocents, and the planets you have conquered in the Cold family name...your sentence is hell."

And that didn't surprise Raditz, but what came next certainly did.

Yemma's face softened slightly, as he spoke further. "But, due to the fact that the vast majority of your crimes were not entirely up to you, I am making an addendum to my sentence. While you are going to be condemned to hell, it will be to one of the lesser regions. More specifically, it is a portion that has been carved out and inhabited primarily by other Saiyans, or at least those whose offenses didn't warrant banishment to the lower levels. I figure that is one courtesy I can extend to you."

Then pausing, as if contemplating the thought, Yemma smirked. "Furthermore, given your circumstances...after a few decades, your case will be reevaluated, and if you behave yourself, you will be given leeway to leave hell as you please. Think of it as purgatory. I don't think you will be granted permission to enter heaven or the fighters paradise, but stranger things have happened."

As he spoke, a portal opened up a few meters from where Raditz was standing. "That will take you to the place I mentioned. Before you go, I must warn you. In the distance you will see a massive spire, with fierce, dark storm clouds billowing around it. Do not go there under _**any **_circumstance. That place is filled with beings filled with enough evil to make Frieza look like a saint by comparison, some of them fully capable of putting that despot in his place."

Yemmas face was stern, but not devoid of compassion.

"And Raditz, good luck."

With that Raditz took a deep breath, and stepped through the portal into the unknown

* * *

><p>In the mortal realm, thousands of light years from Earth, a tall blue skinned warrior, with long flowing green hair stood in the center of a vast communications control room. Moments before, he had received word from the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta, that he and his partner, Nappa, had completed their mission to conquer Xrengothar six full Abson cycles ahead of schedule and had stopped at Outpost #1190 to resupply.<p>

That wasn't much of a surprise to Zarbon, considering the average fighting power on that planet was only 3,500. While they did have a few fighters near 10,000, the planets military was small, and their technology archaic by Planet Trade standards. He couldn't figure why Lord Frieza had been so lenient with those apes as of late, in regards to how long he had been giving them to complete their missions. Not that he had any particular dislike for Saiyans, but he didn't wish to see them gain favoritism in Friezas eye, not over him. Frieza treated the prince a little well enough as it was.

What did seem a bit odd was how Vegeta mentioned getting a transmission from Raditz, who had supposedly gone rogue and deserted the Planet Trade, a little over a hundred cycles ago. When he questioned Vegeta on what he planned to do about it, the Saiyan rudely told Zarbon that he had found a lead on some backwater planet, and promptly cut the transmission. Zarbon expected nothing less of the prince, and was quite used to his attitude. He couldn't shake a nagging feeling, that something wasn't right about what Vegeta was doing. That there was something more to his actions than met the eye.

And when his lord entered the command room to inquire of his latest communication, he decided to voice his suspicion

"Lord Frieza, I wish to express concern regarding the actions of a certain Saiyan prince." he said, while bowing ever so slightly.

"Oh, you don't say?" Frieza said, in an tone that sounded almost...bored. "Whatever could our _dear_ prince be up to that is so troubling to you, Zarbon?"

At that Zarbon coughed, as if to clear his throat. "Well, lord Frieza...according to Vegeta, he may have found a lead as to where that other Saiyan, the one who deserted may have went to. I suspect that he may not have been entirely...truthful, I have reason to believe that he and that over sized brute may have went rogue as well."

"Don't be so naive Zarbon. This matter goes far beyond simple desertion. That Vegeta has always had a bit of a rebellious streak to him, I've always known it would only be a matter of time before he would betray me openly." Frieza said, smiling coldly as he clasped his hands together behind his back.

"You see, I have been keeping close tabs on Vegeta and that neanderthal bodyguard of his; I've had spies watching virtually every move they made, and my technicians recording all transmissions made from their scouters. The little monkey prince thought he was being, so very clever by attempting to encrypt their little conversations, but he greatly underestimated my own cunning if he thought he could get away with it. I would seem that he sent the second class called Raditz to a planet known as TerreErrde, or Earth as it's locals call it, to recruit that Saiyan's brother in a bid against me."

"On that world the little piss ant met his end in a battle against own brother and two other inhabitants. Now those barbaric Saiyan fools are en route to TerreErrde, not just for revenge, but for something else most peculiar."

Turning around, he calmly motioned for a servant to bring a glass of wine. After taking a few brief sips, his smile grew deeper, and he continued.

"One of the the fighters mentioned a strange set of artifacts, known as dragon balls. Supposedly they have the ability to grant any wish. Of course, further investigation will be needed, to assess the validity of this information, so we needn't act hastily. But this does tie into other rumors I've heard whispered about. There is a world, known as Namek at the fringes of my empire that is also rumored to have a similar set of mystical artifacts, coincidentally referred to by the same name as the ones my dear Vegeta is also seeking to acquire."

He took another drought of wine. "The most curious thing is that there is an individual of a most particular background residing on TerreErrde, one that seems to lend a hint of truth to this rumor...care to guess what that background happens to be?"

"Namekian." Zarbon said simply, with a wicked smile on his face.

Frieza downed the remainder of his wine, before disintegrating the now empty glass.

"Precisely."

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Piccolo (Injured and exhausted from battle): 650

Krillin (Injured and exhausted): 104

Master Roshi: 150 (Not full power)

Yamcha: 1,064

Tien: 1,235

Chaoutzu: 945

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><p><em>Don't forget to read and review. Please feel free to point out any flaws that I might have missed, or any criticism you might have, be it plot, fight scenes etc.<em>


	7. Preperations

___**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and any copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more and nothing less.**___

_A/N: _Well, a lot sooner than I though. And a longer chapter than I expected. I was shooting for a 7,500 word count, but now it's nearly 9,000. My deadline was around Feb. 1st, which is great. Over 1,500 words into the 8th, which might well be close to 10,000. Hoping to have it out by the end of February.

To anyone wondering why my updates are so few and far between, and erratic, I would like to take the time to explain it really quick. I have a full time job, on overnights. I'm married, with a 1 year old son. In a relatively new place, with a lot more bills, so I'm still getting used to it. So I have little free time compared to others, and with the financial situation stress can be high, which kills my motivation. Limited freetime+Highstress=Bad for writing.

A pleasant. side note, today is my son's first birthday.

And I'm aware it's in a different fandom, but I do have another story I wish to promote. It's under The Lion King, and it's called Through the Eyes of a Scarred Soul. Link here: s/8897755/1/Through-the-Eyes-of-a-Scarred-Soul

* * *

><p>"So I really get to train with the Lord of Worlds?"<p>

The look on Goku's face suggested eagerness, and determination. He knew that he was going to be facing down two warriors that greatly outclassed Radiz. On his own, he wasn't sure if he would be able to gain that kind of power. But the thought of receiving training from a deity of that caliber did a lot to boost his confidence. Plus the chance to learn new, powerful techniques fascinated him.

Looking at his former student with pride, Kami nodded his head. "Yes, I've already went over the details with King Yemma. But to be more accurate, the one you are going to train with is the Kaio of the North Quadrant of the galaxy. So show him the proper respect."

Before Goku could answer, they were beckoned inside. And like his brother before him, Goku was utterly amazed by the sheer size of the one called King Yemma. And while he couldn't get a precise reading on his ki level, Goku could tell he was very powerful.

The giant summoned a book, and thumbed through the pages. "Son Goku. I've heard a great many things about you, and your exploits."

He adjusted his glasses. "Stopping the Red Ribbon Army, virtually single handedly...defeating the Demon King, Piccolo Daimao, saving hundreds of millions, if not billions from his tyranny. It also says that you, along with the child of the Demon King, stopped Garlic Junior from wreaking havoc on the world after he gained immortality. And now this, giving your own life to put an end to your brother, who had abducted your son, and who you initially believed to be a potential threat to the entire planet."

Goku nodded at all that. "Speaking of Raditz, what exactly happened to him after he died, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Funny, considering he was curious about your fate as well." Not giving Goku the chance to interrupt, King Yemma continued. "Regarding him, I sent him to the only place fitting for one whose sins are so numerous, hell. It was to a lesser section, where he will have the company of other Saiyans till his case can be reevaluated."

Goku scratched his head. "And he didn't even argue or put up a fight?"

"No, not that it would have done him any good. Even without using my Yemma Lock on him, I am still twice as strong as he was."

"Forget this North Kaio, I could just train with you!" Goku beamed ecstatically, as Kami and King Yemma nearly face planted.

"Goku, you can't just go around making those kinds of statements to King Yemma, he is far to busy to spend his time training a student." Kami then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Plus, the North Kai is far stronger than King Yemma anyway."

Kami winced when he heard a deep, booming cough from above him. "Kami, need I remind you how good my sense of hearing is?" Leaning down slightly, Yemma grinned at the guardian. "Don't forget this one either, it is my decision on what happens to your soul after you pass on, so don't go allowing the position of Guardian to go to your head."

"Of course not, my apologies King Yemma."

With a smirk, King Yemma looked to Goku. "Normally, someone of your merit would be allow immediate access to heaven and the fighters paradise. But, considering you are to be brought back to life soon, in order face two warriors far stronger than your brother, Kami has requested that you be allowed to train with the Kaio of the Northern galaxy. And despite his lack of manners, I have agreed to that request."

King Yemma's features became deadly serious suddenly. "Now, the path you must take to reach his planet is a long, and arduous one. Only a few beings have ever managed to make it down Snake Way in the last ten thousand years, and I am one of them. You must not, under any circumstance fall off, because if you do, you will end up in hell, and I would be powerless to help you then. The distance is also formidable, for Snake Way is over one million miles long."

"What, a million miles, are you kidding me?" Goku said, as his jaw nearly hit the floor in shock.

"I'm afraid this is no joking matter, Goku. But, I hope for both your sake, and the planet you love, that you make it. One of my assistants will escort you to the beginning of the path, but you will be on your own from there, good luck to you."

At that moment, as if on cue, an ogre dressed in a uniform reminiscent of a security guard motioned for him. As he followed the guard to the exit, he turned back to Kami.

"Hey Kami, do you have anyway of contacting my friends, back on on Earth...because I need to tell them not to revive me till right before the other Saiyans show up."

"Yes Goku I do. And don't worry, I'll inform them shortly. Just stay focused, and make sure you don't fall off, Snake Way is directly over hell, and I shouldn't even have to tell you how terrible of a place it can be. So good luck to you Goku, and train well, we're all counting on you."

Goku nodded solemnly. "Well, I won't let you down then. Make sure the others keep up on their training too, bye for now."

With the beginning of Snake Way in sight, he gave a final wave back, then took to the sky, commencing his journey.

* * *

><p>Back on Earth, Piccolo had just landed at the Son residence with Gohan in tow. By some miracle, the child was still unconscious. Which was good in Piccolo's mind, it would at least spare him the misery of explaining what had befallen his father less than two hours before.<p>

Carefully restraining himself, so as to not knock the door off it's hinges, Piccolo flicked his hand, rapping loudly a few times at the door. Seconds later, he was met with a distraught Chi Chi, whose made no effort to hide her disgust once she saw who her visitor was.

She tapped her foot in annoyance, a sneer forming on her lips. "Piccolo, why in the world do you have **my **son with you, shouldn't he be with his father?"

She continued, her voice raising a few octaves, much to Piccolo's discomfort. "And speaking of that, where is my adventure seeking husband at? "

Piccolo sighed deeply, but was cut off before he could start to explain. " Let me guess, he's off training again with those miscreant friends of his isn't he...I swear that man can never stay put with his family for more than a minute before he has to go off-"

A growl from Piccolo silenced her, and she took a nervous step backwards. She finally noticed the serious look on the warriors face, wondering if it had anything to do with the nagging feeling she had been having ever since Goku left for Master Roshi's island.

"Has, has something happened?" She wrung her hands nervously, before suddenly snatching Gohan out of Piccolo's arms. "Please, tell me Goku is okay, that everything is fine..."

"You might want to put the kid in bed then. Trust me on that, because I can't see you being calm after what I'm about to tell you."

She did so, and was back quickly enough that even Piccolo was surprise by her speed.

He proceeded to tell her of the mysterious ki signature he sensed, and of everything he heard Raditz say while he spied on the group form the far side of Kame House. Chi Chi nearly had a fit when she learned that Goku's brother took her son, but after Piccolo assured her that the boy was fine she calmed down, slightly.

He then recounted the battle, and how outmatched they were. Then came the strategy to defeat the Saiyan. When he told her of Goku's sacrifice, she fainted on the spot. Piccolo thought of just cutting his losses and disappearing out into the night, but knew that he had to explain the rest.

After waking her up, he waited till she got the tears out of her system, before informing her of the threat posed by Raditz's comrades. Piccolo mentioned that the Saiyan wasn't completely evil, and that he did have the decency to warn everyone of his comrades before passing. Two others, both vastly stronger, would arrive in a years time.

Then came the tricky part. Carefully he brought up the subject broached with Goku, about Gohan's power, and him taking the boy to train. Chi Chi was enraged, and attempted to lunge at the former demon. He caught her easily, warning her to calm herself, at least for Gohan's sake. Piccolo told her that he had Goku's permission to train the kid, and told her the conditions that he set before dying.

Piccolo told Chi Chi that he would return in the morning, to give her a chance to think everything over. He stated that if she allowed him to train Gohan, that he would make the boy keep up on his damned studies, and he would be allowed to return home for a few days out of every month.

Without waiting for her response, he phased out of her sight, quickly exiting through the door he entered through.

As he sped though the night, darting from tree to tree, he was thankful that at least one ordeal was out of the way. Piccolo wondered what he would do if she refused to let him train Gohan. The look she had in her eyes gave him hope that she was at least entertaining the though, though her final answer remained to be seen.

Hardly more that a couple miles out, Piccolo froze mid step, as a powerful mental jolt cut through his conscious mind. Somehow or another, it felt as if he were somehow linked to the minds of several others. Not enough of a connection to speak directly to them, or even to hear their thoughts; but Piccolo could tell that there was a common person linked to him and several of Goku's friends.

Before the person even had a chance to speak, Piccolo had already figured out who it was; he was probably one of the few beings on the entire planet that possessed such potent telepathic abilities.

"Kami, what is this about. It better involve some pertinent to either Son Goku or the Saiyans, or else you can get the hell out of my head."

Kami chuckled at that. "_Calm yourself Piccolo. The rest of you, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tienshinhan, Yamcha and Chi Chi. Each of you are an integral part of Son Goku's life. For that reason I've chosen to contact you all like this, instead of individually. I'm actually passing a message on from Goku, because he himself is unavailable to do so right now. Right now he is on his way to undertake training from the Kaio of the Northern Quadrant of the Galaxy. So I would like to ask that you not revive him till the day before the Saiyans are due to arrive, the reason being that his body will benefit far more from any training as it is, than if he were actually alive."_

They all heard Kami pause, as if collecting his thoughts. _" That, and he will need all the stamina he can get, if he were brought back to life he might very well die again before he reaches the Kaio's planet. And one final thing, if any of you wish, you may come to the lookout to receive training from me. I will warn you, it will be far more strenuous and rigorous than any you have ever faced...so if you do choose to do so, be prepared."_

After that, static for all of those who had been connected to Kami.

...

On the lookout, dozens of miles above the planets surface, Kami pressed a hand to his now aching head. "Mr. Popo, do prepare the place. I anticipate that we may have guests here soon, and they will no doubt be in need of our training facilities. I trust you know what preparations need to be done."

The genie smiled gently at the guardian. "Of course Kami."

At that Kami smiled, hiding the apprehension and sadness he felt. The link he made hadn't been the cause of the sudden headache. No, that had come at the same time that he felt an omen...a bad one. In a years time, he was almost certainly going to die. Be it by the Saiyans or age, he couldn't tell. As good as his health had been in, he suspected that it probably wasn't the latter.

* * *

><p>The next morning, only a few hours after sunrise, Piccolo stood overlooking the Son household, from his perch in a large oak tree. His cape was billowing in the wind, as a scowl covered his face. The nostalgia of the moment wasn't lost on him, this was the very same branch he had been resting on before he had kidnapped Gohan more than two years ago. He wanted to laugh, but the seriousness of the situation kept him from it; the only thing he allowed was a thin smile to form on his lips.<p>

Like before, he could hear almost every word being spoken inside the house. The banshee wife was already awake, along with the kid. Due to his bond, he was able to pick up on the boy's feeling and emotions, even from considerable distances. He knew that Gohan had recently learned of his fathers passing, judging from the mix of emotions he was feeling from the brat. Piccolo knew he was also there a bit earlier than planned, but he had felt the shift in Gohan's mood less than an hour before; without thinking Piccolo had rushed over at top speed, to make sure he wasn't in distress.

Upon arriving he had managed to catch the tail end of the conversation between mother and child, as she did her best to explain to him what had happened. Now Piccolo could tell that they were discussing Gohan's training. And miraculously enough, Chi Chi seemed to be caving in to her spawns wishes. The boy had no objection to spending time with him, and even thought that it would be a lot of fun. Like an adventure.

Piccolo allowed himself to chuckle. _Let him think that for now, if it helps him convince that stubborn mule of a woman._

He knew Gohan was aware of him, as the boy had become rather proficient at sensing energy. It didn't help that he was doing nothing to mask his ki, but then again, that was Piccolo's intention, to be noticed.

When he heard boards creaking, and movement of near the main door, he jumped from his vantage point, sailing clean over the house. Landing with a dull thud, he turned around just in time to see Chi Chi and Gohan stepping through the front door.

Piccolo looked the boy over, before smirking. He was currently wearing the his training gi, the very one the Piccolo had fashioned for him weeks before his uncle had arrived. The bottom have of his gi was very much like Piccolo's own dark purple gi. The top was orange like his fathers, but darker to match his pants better. The front had the symbol of the Turtle Hermit School written in Kanji, while the back had Piccolo's altered version of the demon symbol. He would never allow the boy to wear the symbol of his sire, thus the point of the alteration.

His smile faded slightly as he addressed Chi Chi. "I take it that you're allowing this then. Guess the world really is full of surprises."

The young woman clenched her fist tightly. "Can it Piccolo. I'm doing this against my better judgement, but Gohan seems to have taken a liking to you, Kami only knows why." She shook her head slightly before speaking again. "I am setting a few conditions though...I want him home at for at least two days out of the month, furthermore, I want you to keep me informed how he is doing, daily."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow at this, unsure of whether or not he should give in to her demands. One one hand, he was easily a dozen times stronger than her, he could take the boy and simply leave, in the knowledge that she couldn't do a damn thing to stop him. But she was also Goku's wife, and Gohan was her son. Considering he was trying to prove that he was trustworthy, that would be a bad course of action. One that would no doubt have serious repercussions in the long term. He decided that he would concede, for the moment.

Suddenly tears formed, threatening to spill from her eyes. "I just want what is best for my son Piccolo. I don't want him growing up like his father, always risking his life in battles...but I know it's in his blood. I also know he looks up to you, so you better keep him safe."

The tears went away, and her look became stern, almost frightening. "Because if anything happens to him, I will hunt you down myself, got it?"

Piccolo fought back a laugh. Even though she was serious in what she said, she was no threat to him. He was far to powerful. But he understood where she was coming from, and despite her overbearing attitude, she had a good heart.

Piccolo nodded. "Fine. I swear on my life, and my honor, that I'll do everything in my power to prevent any harm from coming to Gohan." Piccolo said. "And despite what you might think, I am not the type to break an oath like that."

Suddenly his curiosity was piqued. "What of you though...do you plan on training as well, I know you heard everything that Kami said last night."

Chi Chi nodded, slowly. "Probably. I know everyone has passed me up, but I think I might, at least enough to try and defend myself."

And she had spirit. Piccolo was beginning to see why Goku chose her to be his mate.

"But enough of this. Me and the kid here have a lot of work to do, so make it quick."

Mother and son hugged, the embrace lasting for several minutes. Impatient as he was, Piccolo didn't think it would be right to drag Gohan off before he was ready. Finally Chi Chi let Gohan go, her eyes misting over slightly.

Gohan turned to Piccolo. "Okay mister Piccolo...I...I think I'm ready."

Piccolo grunted, before allowing the boy to climb on his shoulders. He looked back to Chi Chi, just in time to catch a capsule that had been tossed his way. He was no expert on technology, but he recognized that particular item right away. The only question was, what was inside?

Chi Chi saw the confused look on Piccolo's face, shaking her head as she explained. "That has all of Gohan's books inside it, along with some extra food and water. You said you wouldn't let him get behind on his studies, so I'm holding you to that one as well."

Gohan said his final goodbyes, as his mother waved sadly. Then, with a small burst of speed Piccolo leaped into the sky. He gather his ki, and blasted off towards the horizon, slower than usual to prevent any harm from coming to his passenger.

...

After flying for around twenty minutes Piccolo touched down with Gohan. The boy hopped down to the ground, stirring up a small cloud of dust as he did so.

They had landed at the base of a mountain, only a few miles from the forest. Piccolo took that time to toss his cape aside and turban, to give himself the chance to stretch. Bringing his hand around, he cracked his neck, the pop echoing for nearly half a mile across the wasteland.

He coughed, instantly getting Gohan's attention. "Listen up boy. This is not going to be like the training us and your father have done. For the next year we are going to push each other to our limits, and beyond. I know you're still grieving over your father, but you need to look past that, and not allow it to slow you down. Don't forget, we have the dragonballs, so we will bring him back."

Gohan smiled at the thought. But it was laced with sadness, knowing that he would have to wait an entire year to see him again. His mother had told him what had happened, and why Piccolo wanted to take him to train. It was something that needed to be done, and it gave him time to spend with the person he considered to be his best friend.

"Now then. I want you to to come at me, with everything you've got." said Piccolo gruffly.

Gohan's eyes bugged out at that. He had seen some of the brawls his father and Piccolo got in, enough to know that he stood no chance. "But...but you're so strong mister Piccolo, I-I don't think I can do it."

Piccolo grinned deviously. "Of course you can, or do you not remember what you did to your uncle?"

The boy shook his head. "No, n-not really. I think I remember telling him stop hurting daddy and his other friend, but that's it."

"Oh, you did a lot more than just tell him. You made him stop, at least for a moment." Piccolo said with a laugh. "For that instant, you were stronger than he was...much stronger than either me or your father."

"I, I was?" Gohan said, with a look of confusion.

"Yes, you were. And I'm going to teach you how to use that power, to control it in a real fight." Piccolo's face quickly lost all traces of humor. "Now, attack me. Don't hold back anything."

Thinking it wise, Piccolo quickly suppressed his power, to where it was almost dead even with Gohan's. This action wasn't lost on the boy, who quickly got into a fighting stance. It was similar to the one Goku used, but with elements of Piccolo's Demon-style splashed into the mix. Piccolo knew the same held true of the boys actual fighting technique as well; it had more in common with his father's style, but with with some of Piccolo's moves to switch thing up.

As he eyed his new student, Piccolo could pick out nearly half a dozen flaws in his stance, right away. But he had a very keen eye, his knowledge on combat came directly from his sire. To any normal human, even most martial artists, the imperfections in his stance would have been almost imperceptible.

When Gohan finally charged him, he was ready, easily ducking under a foot that had been aimed at his temple. When a punch came his way, Piccolo grabbed Gohan's wrist, using his own momentum to send the child skidding across the ground. A few seconds later he brought himself to one knee, before rushing at Piccolo again. In a matter of seconds, he was eating dirt, after Piccolo used his own momentum against him again.

This time he took longer to pick himself up out of the dirt, being winded from that last assault. And he was frustrated. "How, how do you keep doing that so easily mister Piccolo, I can feel that our powers are about the same...so why are you beating me so badly?"

"Because there is a lot more to winning a fight than raw power. Skill and technique are more important, especially when two people are close in power. Plus, it doesn't hurt to change your strategy if something isn't working. Now enough talk, again Gohan!" Piccolo shouted.

Nearly taking a step back from his shock at Piccolo's sharp tone, Gohan quickly got into a fighting stance and rushed his mentor again. This time, right before he got into range he fired a small burst of ki into the ground, and used the momentum to somersault behind Piccolo. Spinning in midair, he aimed a fist at the back of the other's head, only for Piccolo to turn and backhand him across the face. The force sent Gohan spinning over backwards, landing roughly on his back. He slowly stood up, tears starting to form in his eyes.

Piccolo's normally stoic countenance briefly showed a tinge of sympathy. But in a second it was gone, replaced by a thin frown. "Come on kid, dry your eyes. This is a real training session, and I never said I wasn't going to strike you back. Plus, do you think the other Saiyans will play nice, just because you're a kid?"

Gohan shook his head, and did his best to wipe his eyes. As soon as he had done so, he found himself having to jump to the side, to avoid being struck by a thin set of eye beams.

Piccolo smirked, with a hint of pride. "At least you can dodge. Too bad we're just getting started for the day."

That made Gohan gulp slightly, before getting back into his fighting stance.

...

...

That same day, much as Kami expected, he was met with several new arrivals on his lookout. Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chaoutzu. Surprisingly enough Yajirobe was even there, though Kami figured that he had been promised a gargantuan amount of food as an incentive to train. Not that it mattered, Kami knew that he was a good person at heart, and that he could act with great courage when faced with dire conditions.

"Well, I'm very pleased to see you all here. I know each and everyone of you is aware of the severity of the threat we are facing. So know that the training you will be undertaking will be no walk in the park. Goku probably told most of you some of the details of the training he received during his stay here. Harsh as it was, it was necessary for his growth, both as a warrior and and individual. Since you are all much stronger than he was when he came, what your going to be put through will be far more strenuous, and testing of all your abilities."

Kami paused, in order to view the reactions of all the fighters. Not one of them showed any sign of fear, or of uncertainty. If they had, they wouldn't have come in the first place. All he could see in each of their eyes was determination. This pleased Kami to no end.

The guardian smiled. "I take it you're all quite anxious to begin your training. Very well then, simply follow Mister Popo here to the training grounds."

Each nodded, then followed the Djinn, across the lookout to, to the interior. He led them to a door, which once opened contained a large expanse, far larger than should have been possible.

"These are the sacred training grounds. Don't worry about damaging the look out, the walls are much stronger than they appear." Mr. Popo said kindly. "Before I leave you all to your training, Kami asked that I give you these."

With that, he waved a glowing hand in front of the group. Almost instantly they were all nearly pulled to the floor, due to the sudden increase in their respective weights. Mr. Popo had materialized weighted clothing for each of them, adding nearly half a ton of weight to each of them. After a few seconds they managed to adjust to the weight, finding that while that each movement took considerably more effort, they could still move relatively comfortably All except for one of them.

Yajirobe was standing, hunched over, as he struggled to even walk. Four steps in, he collapsed in a heap, panting heavily. "Someone, help me, please..."

Everyone, even Tien took a moment to chuckle at the portly samurai's misfortune.

...

...

Diving to the ground, Gohan narrowly avoided being burned by two white hot eye beams. As soon as he raised his head to look up, his face met with a boot, that sent him sprawling backwards. Instead of smashing into the ground, he did a handspring, landing shakily on his feet. The next instant, he was blocking a punch aimed at his stomach. He then drove a fist into Piccolo's jaw, causing the other's head to jerk violently off to the side.

For a second he hesitated to follow up on his attack, afraid that he had actually injured his teacher, and Piccolo seized the opportunity. He brought his knee up into the boys chin, sending him soaring skywards. Then, as the boy corrected himself, Piccolo extended his palm and fired a small energy blast at him, knocking him out of the sky, smoking.

A minute later, Gohan pulled himself to his feet, wobbling slightly. Piccolo frowned when he saw his pupils ruined gi and swollen face. "That's enough for now kid. I know you want to keep going, but rest is just as important as training. Besides, if you mother saw you like this I would never hear the end of it."

Piccolo smirked, as he moved forward to ruffle the boys hair. "I'm proud of you though kid. It's hardly been a week, but you've almost doubled in power. One thing you need to remember though, is to never let up once you gain the advantage over your opponent. I've already told you, the ones we will be facing in less than a year probably won't be as forgiving of mistakes as I am. I also doubt they'll pull their punches to keep from hurting you like I've been."

Gohan smiled sheepishly, in the traditional Son way. "I'll try to remember than mister Piccolo. I have one question though, when do we eat?"

Piccolo shook his head, a thin smirk gracing his features. "Predictable kid. Just like your father, always thinking with your stomach." He threw down the capsule, out of which popped a large chest, containing all the books Gohan was supposes to study from. It also contained a massive refrigerator, with enough food to last the demi-saiyan for several weeks.

"I don't need to eat, but you can feel free to help yourself, you've earned it. But once you're done, I want you to meditate for four hours. After that, since I'm oath-bound to see to it, you need to do as that woman said, and spend another two hours studying from those damned books." Piccolo snorted after he said that. "I have business to attend to, but I should be back by nightfall." he took to the sky, only to be stopped by a small whimper from the boy.

"Don't worry kid. You're far to strong for any animal to be much of a threat. If something does attack you, well, consider it survival experience." With that, Piccolo took to the sky, heading towards the Son residence.

...

...

About an hour after sunset, Piccolo quietly touched down next to Gohan. He was growing weary of the daily trips to the boys house, as he felt it took away from precious training and meditation time. But, he did have to admit, that it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Goku's wife he noticed, was becoming a bit more accepting of him. Obviously she no longer hated him, and he could see that whatever mistrust she had was fading. For some reason that relieved him. It was getting easier for him to admit that he viewed Son as a friend, so perhaps not being hated by the man's mate was a good thing.

As he moved over to check on the boy, he shook his head at the sight, not out of anger or disappointment. More amusement and pride than anything else. Gohan had fell asleep lying on his back, with an open book covering his face. The sight reminded Piccolo of some of the bizarre ways he had found Goku passed out, that made him actually laugh quietly. One key difference, was the fact that Piccolo could never imagine Goku falling asleep from reading a book. Unless it was out of sheer boredom. Hell, the thought of Goku even taking the time to pick up a book was laughable.

After carefully removing the book, Piccolo placed it back into the chest, then silently re-encapsulated both that and the fridge. He then materialized a blanket, before quickly placing it over Gohan. Feeling tired himself, he decided to forgo meditation for the the night, opting to fall asleep as he leaned against a large section of rock.

...

The next morning still found Piccolo sound asleep, lying against the same rock from the night before. A sharp noise jolted him out of his sleep, just in time for him to spot a ki blast inches away from his face. Having no time to think, the blast smashed into his head, knocking him over backwards, cracking the section of rock as he landed.

As he was about to leap into a fighting stance, he was distracted by high pitched laughter. A child's laugh. Which meant only one thing.

"GOHAN!" he boomed, scattering a flock of birds that had been nesting in the trees several miles away.

More laughter. "Hahaha, I sure gotcha good with that one, right Mister Piccolo?"

When Gohan saw his masters smoking antennae, he tried to fight back another fit of laughter, without much success.

At that Piccolo scowled, in an attempt to look menacing. "Boy, what the hell is wrong with you?"-"You're really lucky I realized it was you so quickly...otherwise..." he trailed off.

Gohan stopped laughing, but couldn't completely remove the cheeky grin from his face. "But Mister Piccolo, you've always said to expect the unexpected, right?"-"So why weren't you ready for that?"

Piccolo's eye twitched hearing that. Now the brat was trying to use his own lessons against him. Well, now was the perfect time for a little surprise of his own. What happened next cased Gohan's smile to disappear almost instantly.

Piccolo grinned, seemingly from ear to ear. "Smartass. I was going to wait a while, but since you seem so enthusiastic to further my training, maybe it's time I did the same for you. You know how me and your father wear weighted clothing right?"

Gohan nodded, wondering if his little joke was worth this.

"Good. Well, I think it's time you got your own set." With a wave of his hand, Piccolo promptly materialized some for Gohan. Fifty pounds on each arm and leg, and one hundred pounds for the shirt. Piccolo smirked as he watched the boy instantly fall to the ground, his tiny body forming a small indentation as he crashed down.

"I know those aren't too heavy for you, so get up." Piccolo barked, trying to keep any hint of laughter from creeping into his voice.

Gohan stood up, trembling slightly under the weight. "But they feel so heavy!" he whined.

Piccolo merely frowned. "Suck it up. Training with these will allow you to work on your speed and reflexes. Not to mention build your power up faster." _And perhaps keep you from pulling any more stupid pranks. _Piccolo thought, with a twinge of satisfaction.

"If it makes you feel any better kid, the weights I'm wearing are a good four times heavier. Eventually you'll be wearing the same, and in time, even more." he shook his head at his pupils pouting face. "And for the next year, unless you're bathing, they are not to come off. Period. Is that understood?"

Gohan quickly nodded. "Yes, yes sir."

"Good, now get ready. For that little stunt you just pulled, we're going to start our training a bit earlier than usual." Piccolo said. Then, he leaped into the sky, before firing a barrage of ki blasts down at Gohan. Piccolo figured it was a good enough warm up. Get the boy used to the weight before anything too rigorous.

Gohan dodged a good six blasts, before the being smacked in the side by the seventh. He quickly rolled, to avoid being struck by another volley.

"Focus Gohan, I know you can do better than that." yelled Piccolo from above.

After dodging another blast, Gohan slipped up, with one nailing him painfully in the back, then another in the side of his head. Piccolo fired one last blast, planning on allowing the boy to take a break afterwards.

What surprised him next was the sudden spike in energy, and the roar of anger coming from Gohan. Suddenly Piccolo saw Gohan fire off a huge bolt of ki, which effortlessly tore through his own blast, as it sped towards him. He quickly crossed his arms over his face, feeling an intense burning sensation as the blast detonated against his skin.

As the smoke was starting to clear, Piccolo looked at his arms, and saw several deep gashes and burns. Nothing serious, especially not for someone with regeneration abilities such as himself. Lack of injuries notwithstanding, that blast still packed a hell of a punch. Enough to greatly impress Piccolo. It was close to the power he had when he first fought Goku.

He quickly descended to Gohan's level, seeing the boy still on his feet, deeply gasping for each breath.

"I...I'm...sorry...Mister Piccolo, I...I guess I...just snapped." Gohan muttered out, between breaths.

Piccolo patted the boy on the head, the gesture taking Gohan a bit off guard. "Don't apologize for anything kid. I was pushing you a bit hard, but I admit, it certainly paid off. This is what I mean when I said you had a lot of hidden power, kid. Now we just have to teach you how to access it in battle, without having to rely so much on your temper."

At that Gohan smiled, before falling on his backside roughly.

Piccolo smirked, before finding the capsule, stored deep in one of his clothing pockets. Again, he tossed it to the ground. "Go ahead and take a break runt, you probably need it after that little outburst."

An idea struck Piccolo. He had told Krillin that he and Gohan would train with the others on occasion. Piccolo also knew that they were all on the lookout training. By focusing enough, he could sense them all clustered together there. The only problem would be having to deal with Kami. But if the old guardian kept his mouth shut, and left him alone, Piccolo reasoned that it would be worth it.

...

...

The next day, Gohan and Piccolo journeyed to the Lookout, to train with the others. Initially they planned on staying for a single day, but that day quickly turned into another, then another, until a full week had passed. Piccolo, instead of flying all the way out to Goku's house, opted to communicate with Chi Chi telepathically about how Gohan was doing. With his assistance in the connection, Gohan had even been able to speak with her for a couple minutes at a time. This of course pleased her to no end.

Currently, Gohan was sparring with Krillin and Yajirobe. The over weight Samurai had gotten used to his weights, but was still not handling them as well as the others, getting out of breath far sooner than they did.

Piccolo was currently standing across from Tien and Yamcha. All three were in fighting stances, as each party waited for the other to make the first move. After several seconds, Yamcha rushed forward first, with Tien meters behind him. Piccolo side stepped Yamcha's fists, only to be struck in the side by Tien's 'Dodon Ray'. Wincing as he felt a thin trickle of blood from the wound, Piccolo quickly smirked, before opening his mouth and firing a blast of pure white ki at Tien.

After smacking the blast aside, Tien had to block a chop aimed at his temple. Thinking hastily, he delivered and open palm strike, nailing Piccolo in the face. The impact nearly broke the green man's nose, and before he could retaliate, he heard a shout come from the former bandit.

"Wolf Fang Fist!"

The strike caught Piccolo dead center in his back, knocking him forward and straight into a head butt from Tien.

This went on for nearly half an hour, with Piccolo struggling to fend off the two humans. Piccolo knew he was significantly stronger than both, but they knew how to work well as a team. Which was a good thing, considering that they would need to focus on that if they hoped to prevail over Raditz's comrades. He also had to admit, that he was impressed with the gains they themselves had undergone in just the past two weeks. Yamcha, the weaker of the two, Piccolo estimated to be close to Garlic Junior in power. Probably a bit weaker, but with enough speed and skill to make up for it. The triclops, Tien, was rapidly approaching the power he and Goku were at when they faced down Raditz.

Finally, after Piccolo found himself struggling to even stand, they decided to call it quits for the day. The other two weren't in the best of shape either. Both were covered in bruises, lacerations and burns. But it was obvious who was on the winning side in that spar.

It was agreed that the next day, they would meet with Bulma, at Capsule Corp., to see if she had managed to finish the extra dragon radars. With several of those things, they would be able to locate the dragon balls that much faster, and more efficiently.

They also agreed that they would spend a week looking for the balls. With no complications, and multiple radars, they surmised that they should be able to find all seven in that time frame.

Then it would simply be a matter of waiting the year, until Goku told them it was time to revive him.

...

...

The next day came and went, with Bulma having completed the two extra radars. It was determined that they would split up into teams of three, to find the dragonballs. Piccolo with Gohan, Tien with Chaoutzu, and Yamcha with Krillin.

Bulma also told them that she had also made some progress on the scouter recovered from Raditz. She had gotten in working again, and had managed to disable it's tracking software, as far as translating it from the alien language to their own, she figured she was about a fourth of the the way. Whatever language seemed to be the standard, didn't deviate as much from English as to be expected. There were many bizarre symbols, and letters that didn't belong in any Earthbound alphabet, but the syntax and grammatical structure was similar to that of Earths dominant language. Almost disturbingly so. No one knew what the implications of that were, but it did go a great deal towards explaining why Raditz had seemed to comprehend Earth's tongue, which made no logical sense otherwise.

Five days in, they had managed to acquire the last remaining ball, and decided it best to store them at Kame House until the day came to revive Goku. During those days they largely neglected their training, though they all did manage to find some time for light sparring.

As soon as they landed they were met with a major shock. The first thing they saw was Master Roshi sailing out the windowing of his home, landing in the surf with one lens on his sunglasses shattered.

But that was hardly unusual, considering how often his lecherous comments got him in trouble with Launch. So the fact that it was Chi Chi who had done so was very strange. Strange that she of all people would journey out to the old hermits island for anything.

As soon as Chi Chi spotted the group, she rubbed her hand, which was aching from punching the old hermit across the island.

"Man that old coot has a hard head." after that, she turned her attention to the rest. "So, what brings you all out here?"

Piccolo grunted. "I could ask you the same thing. Decided to train under that senile old lecher?"

Gohan, not wanting to wait any longer, rushed towards his mother, nearly knocking her off her feet as he hugged her. "Mommy, I've missed you a lot!"

She hugged him back, nearly wincing at how tight a hold Gohan had her in. "I've missed you to Gohan, more than you can imagine."

She then focused on Piccolo's question. "But yes Piccolo, I am. Goku couldn't stop ranting and raving about how good a teacher he was, so I decided to see if that had any truth. Which is what I'm here for, but I swear, if that old man **ever** touches me again, my husband is going to be seeing a familiar face in the afterlife."

At that moment Master Roshi was stumbling to the front door of his house. Having managing to catch her last few words, he gave a nervous chuckle, before quickly darting inside and slamming the door behind him.

...

...

In Otherworld, Goku was still flying down Snake Way. He had been flying for nearly three weeks, and had barely slept since he had left. It amazed him how much more stamina he had with his body no longer technically being alive. But after ten days without sleep, he could feel it beginning to wear on him greatly.

Gradually he brought himself to a halt mid air, and descended till he was standing on Snake Way. "Man am I tired. Guess it couldn't hurt to rest for a minute."

He quickly slumped over into a sitting position, with his hands propping up his head. After dozing for no more than a few minutes, he was suddenly startled by the sudden squeal of car tires, and then sound of a very high pitched horn.

With the sudden adrenaline rush, and his weariness momentarily forgotten, Goku bounded upward in fright, stopping about ten feet over Snake Way. Goku looked down to see a vehicle that resembled the street sweepers on Earth, only considerably taller. The man, or rather, the ogre behind the wheel rolled down his window, before sticking his head out to gaze up at the Saiyan.

"Hey, you can't just be sleeping like that in the middle of the road, don't you know how dangerous it is to-" the guard began lecturing, only to stop when he realized who he was speaking to. "Wait a minute, aren't you that Son...Goki fella, the one who was going to train under King Kai?

Goku chuckled at the workers mispronunciation of his name. "It's Son Goku actually, but yeah, that's me all right."

The ogre flushed, but otherwise covered up his embarrassment well enough. "If I might ask ya though, why were ya sleeping right in the middle of Snake Way, cause like I was saying, it's not the safest place and all."

Goku scratched the back of his head slowly. "Well, you see, I've been flying for weeks now, and I've only slept for a few hours the entire time. I don't have any way to actually know how much time it's been, but I figure  
>I have been awake for at least a week, maybe more."<p>

The man nearly face-planted onto his own steering wheel, but resisted the urge. "Over a week, are you crazy?"-"Being dead means you have more stamina and all, but you still need to sleep at least a few hours at least every other day, otherwise it will start to wear on ya."

Then an idea struck the guard. "There is a spot on top, for another worker. But since they shorthanded me, you can hitch a ride up there for a while, till I finish my route. Got another thousand miles or so to go, so if ya want you can take nap for a few hours."

Goku quickly hopped on top. The worker realized one more thing. " Oh yeah, road gets a bit bumpy up ahead, so if you do plan on sleeping make sure you're not to close to tha side. Don't want ya falling off into hell."

After that the guy rolled his window back up, and started his engine up again. The machine moved a lot faster than Goku initially figured it would, and was nearly thrown off when it took off. In that, Goku figured he was pretty lucky the worker saw him in time. Getting hit by that thing full speed would probably have hurt really bad, dead or not.

A few minutes in, and the the motion was already making Goku drowsy, slowly lulling him off to sleep. All was well for over an hour, but true to his word, Snake Way did have a lot of cracks and blemishes in the pavement where they were. Rounding a corner, one of the tires got stuck in a pot hole; as the driver turned the wheel to keep the machine from tipping over on it's side, Goku kept moving in his original direction, and he slid across the top platform, until he rolled over the side. He missed the edge by mere inches, and instead tumbled down towards the clouds, all the while still sleeping away blissfully.

* * *

><p>In the depths of space, two attack pods sped, their engines propelling them at faster than light speeds. They were flying right on the edge of a magnetic storm, when a stray plasma burst sent a jolt through both pods. No damage was done, but it did cause the oxygen synthesizer to go offline for a few seconds, with the backup kicking in momentarily. This had the added consequence of pulling the two Saiyans out of stasis.<p>

"Nappa, what the hell just happened?" asked a groggy, and very irritated prince.

"We just went through the tip of a magnetic storm. Must have caused the backup supply to go online. Whatever it was, I don't think we're going to be able to reactivate the stasis unit for quite a while." Nappa responded. Despite often being thought of as a simpleton, with his bulky physique only furthering that misconception, the older Saiyan was actually quite intelligent. In particular, he knew quite a bit about space faring vehicles, with his specialty being the type of pod they were in.

Vegeta knew this, and trusted his judgement. It did nothing to alleviate his frustration though.

Instead, he simply rubbed his temple. "Goddamn it all."

"What do you think we oughta do till that comes back up, Vegeta?"-"Wait, I know, there is a moon up ahead, surrounding that gas giant. Arlia I think it's called."

"And your point is what, exactly Nappa?" Vegeta snapped back. One of the side effects of being in suspended animation especially for so long, was the nasty headaches they could cause.

"Well, it is supposed to be inhabited, maybe we could find some entertainment there...you know, food, drinks... women...just enough time to stretch our legs. In less than a full cycle we can be back in space, what do you say?"

Vegeta growled to himself before responding. "Fine. Anything to stop your damned whining."

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Yajirobe (Arrival on lookout): 400

Piccolo (1 week of training): 1,592

Piccolo (Suppressed): 168

Gohan (1 week of training): 170

Gohan (Anger boost): 534

Piccolo (Spar with Yamcha and Tien): 1,662

Tien (2 Weeks training): 1,342

Yamcha (2 Weeks training): 1,147

Krillin (2 weeks of training): 1,344

Chaoutzu (2 weeks of training): 1,019

Yajirobe (2 weeks training): 505

Gohan (2 weeks of training): 223

Kami: 520

Goku: 1,556

Chi Chi: 139

Master Roshi :145 (Suppressed)


	8. Gaining Ground

A/N: Sorry about the longer being than expected wait. I would have had the chapter up sooner, but my old computer ended up going out. Well, more like the power cord nearly started a fire, but it's all the same to me. Got a new one now, so the old one won't be missed. But yes, were it not for the delay, the chapter would have been up over a week ago. To make up for that, I present to you a 12.5k word beast. Next one shouldn't be as massive, but expect at least 9k or so.

As it is, I still need to proof read it a bit more, but it seems acceptable now. Overall I like it, but I want to hear everyone else's opinions, especially on Goku's little stay in hell. That is the part I'm most uncertain about.

So yes, by all means, read and review. Don't abstain from criticism, as that is what makes all good stories better.

And yes, before I forget...

___**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and any copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more and nothing less.**___

* * *

><p>In less than a quarter of a cycle-with a cycle equating to about 48 standard Earth hours- the pods had arrived, and were orbiting a few hundred miles over the surface of Arlia.<p>

Being in identical design, both Saiyans heard the same description of the planet from the attack pods central on board computer.

**'**_Arlia: Largest of seventeen moons, of the XNT class planet Aron_.**'**

Both groaned inwardly as the machine went on in its grating monotone voice.

**'** _Diameter: 4,500 miles. Atmospheric analysis complete: Atmosphere is composed of 74% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, .55% Xenon .5% Carbon Dioxide, .5% Hydrogen, .45% Argon; remainder constituted of water vapor, with traces of Ammonia and Sulfur_. **'**

**'**_Mean surface temperature: 40 Degrees Centigrade. Maximum daytime temperature: 58 degrees. Minimum nighttime temperature: -10 degrees. Gravity level is estimated at 1/20 of a standard unit_.**'**

Vegeta allowed his head to fall flat into the door pane. An action that his companion obviously could not see. The conditions sounded deplorable, and the air toxic after prolonged exposure.

Nappa didn't seem as off put though as his prince. "Well, let's check it out Vegeta. I'm sure the locals will appreciate having some tourism."

...

Seconds later, two deafening explosions were heard across Arlia. And from each crater emerge one of the two Saiyans.

All they could see for miles around were rock formations, other than that, nothing indicative of any intelligent species. Just rocks, and bizarrely colored foliage. The air reeked, but they figured that they were lucky in one regard. They had landed during twilight hours, and according to Planet Trade data, they wouldn't have to worry about the freezing cold night for another half a cycle. By which time they would be light years away from the floating hell hole; if Vegeta had his way that was, which he nearly always did.

But at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to throttle his older comrade. Nappa had served first as his body guard, then as he got older, a mentor.

Vegeta had great respect for him, but he also resented his partners lack of common sense and foresight. It would have saved the lot of them a lot of grief in the past if the older Saiyan had simply employed a bit more tact. The same held true in this scenario.

All of sudden their scouters came to life, with nearly a dozen energy signatures popping up.

"You see those Vegeta, ten of them. Too bad none of them have a power level over fifty." remarked Nappa with a frown.

"Yes, quite disappointing, I know. But I don't recall coming here for a slaughter, which is what this would be if we fought them. Though a little excitement might do us some good, it might even make me forget about wanting to beat you to within an inch of your life for dragging us to this damn place."

The burly Saiyan gulped, then gave a nervous laugh. Then he noticed a cloud of dust in the distance. "Looks like they are almost here, right Vegeta?"

All Vegeta responded with was a irritated "hmph".

Within a couple minutes they were able to see the natives clearly, as well as the beasts they were riding in on. The prince knew he was right when he figured the inhabitants to be be a primitive, barbaric lot, but he didn't expect them to have such a grotesque appearance. Bug like, with no definable mouth, more a set of mandibles than anything else. They had two arms and two legs, and what appeared to be wings folded behind their backs.

No sooner than they arrived, than did they immediately surround the two warriors.

"You two!" bellowed the one Vegeta and Nappa both assumed to be the leader. The voice was high pitch, nasally, with a crackly overtone. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, surprised that they even spoke the Standard Language.

But the leader, or whatever he, or it was, wasn't done yet. "You are hear by charged with trespassing on the glorious Planet Arlia."

Vegeta smirked, before sending Nappa a look that suggested they play along. The larger warrior nodded in understanding. It was simple really, as far as Vegeta was concerned. They would humor these weaklings, and allow themselves to be taken into custody. Then, once those insects let their guard down, they would provide a show of force, to show these savages who really was in control.

Nappa and Vegeta heard the bug captain bark, or hiss some order to his subordinates in whatever passed for speech on this planet. Then their hands were bound behind their backs, and they led at sword point to what they could only guess was some sort of prison within one of the rock formations.

Both kept an eye out for anything even remotely resembling ki dampening equipment. They had their doubts about this moon possessing that type of technology, but they had felt the effects of such devices in the past, and did not want to be at the mercy of the moons inhabitants.

At the first sign of any such device, they would shatter their bonds and atomize the legion of guards surrounding them.

A short while later, they found themselves inside a crudely fashioned jail cell. Their 'captors' had been foolish enough to put them in the same cell together, which Vegeta found hilarious. They hadn't even the sense to take, or at least attempt to take their scouters.

And as impossible as it seemed, the cell actually smelled far worse than it did outside.

"Great, were in prison now Vegeta." Nappa said. But it was in a bored tone, considering he knew how easily they could get out of it. "So, what exactly is the point of this, if you don't mind me asking?"

The prince laughed darkly. "Nothing more than a little game."

Nappa simply raised an eyebrow. "A game?"

"Yes." replied Vegeta, "Since we're here on this shit-hole world, thanks to you, I've decided to make the best of it. These incompetent roaches seem to think so highly of themselves and this rotten dirtball, so I think we should show them what real power is."

Vegeta gave an insane laugh, then charged up an orb of energy and launched it through the wall, where it continued though several more sections, till it finally detonated into a wall several hundred feet away.

Before the guards could even blink twice, Vegeta was out of the cell and had darted through the opening he made. Nappa was hardly a step behind him; they both found out that the room they broke into was actually a massive coliseum, with a throne only a few feet up into the stands. Of course it was separated from the others by a big distance, and had several guards surrounding it. The king, was dressed in more extravagant armor, and seemed just as stunned as everyone else was at the intruders.

Vegeta clicked his scouter, and laughed. The guards had higher battle powers than the ones that had taken him and Nappa into custody, but were still pathetically weak, with none of them even breaking seventy five. After scanning the kings power, and seeing his cowardly manner, Vegeta clenched his fist in anger.

_He thinks he is a king, a ruler, pathetic. A ruler like that would have been deposed within a cycle on Planet Vegeta. This cretin makes a mockery of the term king._

The fool had a power level of fifteen, and seemed to rely on his guards for everything. Even protection. On Vegeta, the king might not have always been the absolute strongest, but a king there was more than capable of defending himself, without having to hide like a coward behind his guards.

After staring for the better half of a minute, the bug king managed to stow away his terror, and addressed the Saiyans with an air of pomposity. "You, prisoners, how dare you damage my palace, and break into my coliseum?"

Vegeta's eyebrow twitched. "Who do you think you are, you pathetic excuse for a king, to dare talk down to me?"-"I could crush you disgusting insects in an instant. Those, soldiers-" he snorted as he said the word,", if you could call them that, had the nerve to take us into custody. Yet not once did they think to ask who we are. They underestimated us, a very unwise thing to do to anyone. Apparently no one ever told you ugly fuckers about how dangerous a pair of Saiyans could be."

Uproar, starting with the guards and soon encompassing nearly every member of the audience, which easily had to be several thousand. The hissing and clicking was nearly deafening, but both Vegeta and Nappa found amusement in their reaction; at least these backwater dwellers had heard of the fearsome reputation of the Saiyan race.

Indignant at be spoken to in such a manner, the king forgot his fear for a moment. "Saiyans, on my planet...never!"-"Guards, kill them!" he screamed shrilly.

Eight guards appeared, surrounding Vegeta and Nappa. They were dressed in thicker armor, and as soon as Nappa pressed the button on his scouter, his suspicions were confirmed. "Well Vegeta, they all have power levels of about two hundred and fifty."

Vegeta laughed. "Guess this is what passes for power around here. Nappa, shall we show them what the word truly means?"

The bald Saiyan grinned, then nodded. Before the guards could even swing their weapons, Vegeta and Nappa vanished from sight.

Seconds later, they reappeared a few meters away from their starting position. Blood and goo began oozing from the guards mouths, and any other opening on their heads, and they quickly collapsed into a messy heap.

The king shrunk back in terror. "Who...who are you...wh-what do you want from us!" he said frantically.

"I am Vegeta, the prince of all Saiyans. And this, is Nappa." he said, as each took a few menacing steps toward the throne.

"Now, you pathetic excuse for a monarch, if you want to live, I only request one thing. It's simple enough. Bow down before us." Vegeta smirked, as Nappa tried to keep a straight face. "Swear allegiance to me, and I'll let you live as my regent."

The insect king, was incensed at the comment. He forgot who he was dealing with, as he allowed his anger to consume him.

"Before you, NEVER!"-"Guards, summon the Ragnoron!"

The entire arena began to shake, violently, as two panels opened up in the center. A platform began rising, lifting a giant creature bound in chains up to face them. At least fifty feet tall, and greatly resembling the natives, it roared loudly, snapping it's chains as if they were made of paper.

Both Saiyans looked perplexed. "Nappa, what do you _make_ of that thing?"

The muscle bound man didn't have a chance to answer, as the king began laughing.

"Behold the results of our greatest experiment, prepare to meet your death you filthy invaders!"

The shorter one crossed his arms over his chest, smiling arrogantly as the numbers flashed over his scouter."Nappa, take care of that pathetic creature. I'm sure you've been dying for some exercise after all. Be quick about it, the sooner we get off this moon the better."

Vegeta knew Nappa would have no trouble. Even Raditz would have been able to kill that thing without much trouble.

The audience in the stands suddenly burst into a raging applause, as the creature threw a clumsy fist towards Nappa. Vegeta, despite the things he had done, the people he had killed, found himself disgusted at the display. The crowd expected a slaughter, for that thing to rip he and Nappa apart. Of course, they had no idea how outmatched that monster was, but Vegeta didn't think they would mind much, so long as there was bloodshed aplenty.

He knew from his time as a child on the Planet Vegeta, and then from the teachings of his older comrades, that there was no glory in senseless killing. No honor. Saiyans lived to fight opponents that could push them to their limits, not to pick apart weaklings, least of all not for sport. Much to his chagrin, the prince knew that even Frieza wouldn't tolerate this type of event on any of his worlds. He was a tyrant, cold, calculating, even cruel at times, but even he had some standards. Unlike his brother. Frieza almost never wanted to have a planet purged, why kill off an entire planet, when so much more could be made by keeping it's populace alive.

A world like this though, even Frieza would find appalling. Worlds like this, ruled by savagery and barbarism, would be the ones burned to a cinder. Much as he hated it, he agreed with the lizard philosophy on that regard.

The prince looked, and saw that Nappa had caught it's fist. The larger Saiyan appeared to be struggling a bit, but it was because the behemoth had thrown nearly all of it's weight into the blow, rather than from it's own raw power. With a grunt, Nappa flared out his aura, and heaved, sending the creature tumbling over backwards.

It managed to pick itself up, as it glared at it's opponent. Nappa frowned, then charged up a small orb of energy. Right as the monster was about to charge, the mustached Saiyan hurtled the bolt of energy at it's chest with a slightly upward curve. The blast struck just above it's abdomen, with the beast giving a mighty roar of agony as it ripped up into it's chest cavity. With an ear shattering boom, the blast detonated, vaporizing the entire top half of the creatures body. The lower half, little more than a mangled set of cauterized entrails attached to a charred set of legs, fell to the ground with a massive thud, rocking the entire arena.

The crowd fell silent, more out of surprise than anything. Then, they began a slow applause, building until it was nothing but a massive cacophony of hissing and clicking.

Slowly, the king motioned for their silence. Before he could begin, Vegeta cut him off by firing a small red beam of ki through his head, immolating his brain instantly.

The crowd made to cheer again, but a massive burst of power from the enraged Saiyan forced silence from the deranged lot.

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Vegeta, using his ki to amplify his voice enough that it echoed throughout the entire ring.

"YOU INSECTS DISGUST ME!"-"IF ANY YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS PLACE. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE JOINING YOUR KING IN DEATH."

With a vein bulging in his forehead, and face reddening, he pulled out a small remote control. After pressing a few buttons, both his and Nappa's space pods tore across the distance, landing smoothly right next to the pair.

With nothing more than a glare, he and Nappa stepped inside. Vegeta quickly came over the comm system. "Don't enter the coordinates for TerreErrde yet Nappa. I have one bit of unfinished business to attend to. Set the pod to go into orbit five miles above the surface.

"Of course." Nappa said, nearly stuttering. He wasn't sure what his prince was up too, but he had a good idea.

In a couple seconds, they were hovering five miles directly overhead over the prison. The readouts indicated that the air was breathable at this altitude, and after a moment, Vegeta opened the door to his pod, and stood atop it, a look of disdain on his face as he viewed the ground below.

After a few minutes, Nappa joined him as well. "So, what are we doing out here like this Vegeta?" A thought suddenly hit him, and he brushed a few drops of sweat away. "You...you're not going to blow it up, are you"

The younger man turned his head, and shot Nappa an icy look. "No. Not that I don't want to, but I think it's only fair to give them a chance to survive. After all, maybe there are some that aren't as deplorable as those down there. Still, I do feel in the mood for some _entertainment_."

He looked, as saw a few shapes, appearing no larger than ants, fleeing from the rock complex. Which seemed oddly appropriate that he would perceive them that way. They were already several miles away, apparently they had taken his threat at face value. Which was smart. He would make sure they didn't get caught in the blast.

He gathered some energy in his hand, before nonchalantly firing it down into the center of the coliseum. A massive explosion, over a mile across lit up the entire sky. The Saiyans watched, as the smoke cleared, and the debris settled to the ground. The only thing left was a crater, several hundred feet deep. Everything else, nothing but soot and ash.

His point proven, Vegeta saw no further reason to remain. So with that, he and Nappa reentered their attack pods, and tried to relax as the gas rushed in, pulling them into a state of suspended animation.

* * *

><p>Down he fell, through the layers of clouds. It wasn't till he was less than a thousand feet up did Goku's eyes suddenly snap open. In his state of panic, he was unable to react fast enough to stop, and instead plowed into the ground at full speed. The impact blasted a crater several feet into the ground, and made the spiky haired Saiyans head spin. After a few seconds the nausea passed, and Goku began to become aware of his surroundings. Less than a mile away, he saw a huge tower, surrounding by jet black storm clouds. Every few seconds, purple lightening would arc from one of the clouds, either flashing into a neighboring cloud or hitting the tower itself.<p>

He didn't know why, but just looking at that building made his hair stand even more on end than usual. It felt evil, full of darkness and malice. Being this close made him want to run away, screaming in terror, which was an unusual feeling for the hero, who wasn't used to such a thing. Daimao never even managed to fill him with such dread.

Looking away, and up to the sky, he quickly realized that his first guess was correct. He had no doubt fallen off of Snake Way, and had landed in hell. Considering his options, he was about to head back into the clouds, before his senses picked up another ki signature. An all to familiar one.

Right as he was turning, a fist slammed into his cheek, sending him spinning into a collection of rocks. Goku looked up, and saw his deceased brother glaring at him. It was not a look of hate, but rather of disappointment.

Before he could say a word in protest, Raditz cut him off sharply. "Kakkarot, you idiot!"-" Despite all the things you were told, the warnings even, you still manage to fall off the road?!"

Goku gave him a look that suggested utter embarrassment, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but it wasn't my fault. I was riding on top of some vehicle, then I fell asleep. I must have slid off at some point, otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?"

Raditz nearly fell on his face. "That is a stupid fucking excuse!" he shouted at his brother. "But we can't stay here and argue about it, believe me, you have no idea how dangerous this place really is."

With that, he motioned for Goku to grab his hand. Once the younger Saiyan had done so, he flared his aura and blasted off at full speed.

The feeling was intense, and Goku had to fight to keep from crying out. But once they got moving, he found that it wasn't so bad. Over the sound of air rushing over them, Goku managed to find his voice. "So...where are we going Raditz?"

The elder grunted. "Somewhere where someone might be able to help you get back on Snake Way. Be prepared brother, otherwise you might be overwhelmed by how the others act. Assuming we actually run across them."

_Others? _Goku thought. As in, other Saiyans?

Within a few moments, they had left the menacing structure behind, and touched down in a small mountainous region. As Goku looked around, he could see several crudely made homes, which looked like they were built into the hills themselves.

In the immediate area, he only sensed a couple others. Extending his senses, he picked up on several dozen, just within the first few miles.

Raditz looked at his brother, keeping a neutral expression as he did so. He wasn't angry per say about his death, but neither did it please him. In his mind, Kakarot had done what virtually any Saiyan would have done.

But, there wasn't time for any idle sightseeing, the pressing matter was finding a way for to get his idiot brother out of hell. So with a smirk, he quickly raised his hand, before smacking Goku across the back of his head. The force made him stumble forward, nearly toppling over before his vision cleared.

"Hey, what the hell was that for!" he half shouted towards Raditz. Goku caught himself, right before he could enter a fighting stance, normally he didn't angry this easily. But he still hadn't completely gotten over what Raditz had done; plus, something about the place was starting to play tricks on his mind. Then again, hell probably was never intended to be the pleasantest of places.

Raditz noticed the change in Kakarots demeanor, and shook his head. He knew full well the effect that this place could have on people, which made it all the more imperative to find a way for his brother to get out. "Relax Kakarot. Until you get used to it, this place can really mess with your head. Getting angry only makes it worse. Believe me, I know firsthand."-"Now, like I told you, I do know someone that can help. In fact, you know him too, in a way of course."

Goku raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I do, but how...if he is a Saiyan then...that shouldn't be possible..." Then another thought struck the spiky haired warrior. "Wait, why are you so eager to help me?"-"I mean, you did warn us of the other two heading to Earth, and I am grateful for that...but, why do you care if I'm stuck here for a whole year?"

"A good question indeed, Kakarot. But the idiot did start the whole mess that lead to your death, so perhaps he is trying to make amends for what he feels responsible for." said a third voice. Raditz balled his fists up, more angry at himself that anything. It was the truth, and he had been berated heavily ever since arriving here.

The man hovering a few meters in the air looked almost like a mirror image of him. He had the same spiky hair, and was almost the exact same height and build. The only real differences were his harsher, rougher facial features, and the scar running across his left cheek. A few feet to the mans right, Goku spotted a woman, one that bared more resemblance to Raditz than anything else. She had the same long hair, and was at least the same height. But her face, along with the shape of her eyes, had more in common with him than with Raditz, who had the same sharp features as the one with the scar.

A realization struck Goku suddenly. Raditz did say that he was his older brother, and the two Saiyans that arrived, seemingly from the blue, resembled each of them to an uncanny degree.

Bardock looked at the expression on his younger son's face. The older warrior saw the look of recognition, and smirked. _So, he's figured it out then. Guess the visions were right, he is a quick thinker when the time calls for it..._

"I see you've figured it out then. For a moment I was afraid I had misinterpreted the vision, good to know my second son at least has some sense." he frowned at Raditz briefly, before shaking his head. Then again, perhaps this is exactly how fate wanted it to be all along.

The fact that both of his son's died fighting each other saddened him, and in Raditz's case, angered him as well. He knew he wasn't around for much of his life, but he still had hoped that he had taught him better. Apparently working with Frieza...and that brother of his, had jaded him, made him forget what it really meant to be a Saiyan.

At the same time, he knew the guilt Raditz felt for causing Kakarot's death, and felt bad for constantly reminding him of it. He also had yet to tell his eldest what really happened to their planet. To be sure, Raditz probably had guessed at the truth, but no matter what he suspected, it meant nothing unless he knew every single detail. Frieza was responsible, and he would pay in time, but he wasn't the only one to blame. Cooler, the name alone made Bardock's blood boil. He and that worthless Saiyan traitor deserved nothing more than to suffer in the deepest realm hell had to offer. The Saiyan clenched his fists, hoping that when the time came, for him to confront each and everyone of them, that he would have the strength needed to make them suffer.

But that wasn't important, not yet. Kakarot needed to get back on that path, and get the training from that North Kai, or whatever his title was. Bardock knew that the training he was going to receive would be key to him surviving all his upcoming trials, until he managed to fulfill the legend.

To his right, dressed in traditional Saiyan armor, was his mate. Well, in life they were constantly fighting and bickering, but in death both had finally managed to reconcile. It was similar in some ways to Planet Trade armor, but it lacked shoulder pads, and was a deep crimson in the center.

He turned back to his son. To both of his sons. "Well Kakarot, I have to say it's good to see you all grown up. I wish I could have been around for you and Raditz but unfortunately, certain circumstances prevented that. But yet, I feel like I already know you. You can call me crazy, but what I'm about to tell you is true. Shortly before my death, me and a team were sent to purge a planet named Kanassa. I'm not proud to say this, but we accomplished our mission. But there was a single survivor, and though mortally wounded, he managed to strike me, right where the base of the skull meets the spine. When he did that, he passed on a gift, though at the time, I considered it a curse. You see, those people, the Kanassians have the ability to see into the future, through visions. He told me that he wanted me, to see my demise, and my people's, just as he foresaw his own. And because of that, I have been able to see glimpses of your life, of your noble deeds and exploits, to this point."

Bardock studied his reaction, trying to gauge whether or not his son believed him. His expression fully conveyed his astonishment, but Bardock could see the trusting look in the other's eyes.

"Even now, I'm not sure whether it's a blessing or a curse...but I'm definitely leaning towards the former right now."-"Now, as much as I would like to continue this reunion...time is of the essence here, and I do happen to know of a portal that will lead you out of here. It won't work for those of us who are sentenced to hell, but you shouldn't have any trouble."

They spent a few more moments conversing, and Goku managed to finally meet his mother. Like his father she seemed very proud of him. It also gave him more insight as to where his innate kindness truly stemmed from. Before he thought that it had simply been the brain injury that caused it, and he supposed that he was half right...but the good in his heart, in his soul, wasn't simply created from a bump on the head. No, it had to come from somewhere, and his falling into the canyon as a baby probably just restored that part of his personality.

But time was short, and they had to say their goodbyes. Both his mother, and Raditz wished him good luck, and he stepped over to his father.

Bardock would have left sooner, but while his son and mate were speaking, he had a vision. Not as vivid as the norm, but more than enough to make him nearly numb to the outside world. In it, he saw Kakarot, standing on a strange world, with blue grass and a green sky. He looked angry, and then a flash of red. It then skipped forward by at least several minutes, and he saw his son again, standing across from a white skinned lizard. One that looked very familiar. Frieza. Then a flash of gold, and he saw his son, surging with golden energy clashing with the tyrant as the world crumbled around them.

With a gasp, the premonition faded, and he saw Kakarot striding over to him. Telling him was out of the question, as it could alter his future entirely, and likely not for the better.

With nothing more than a quick jerk of his hand, motioning for the other to follow, he took off into the sky.

Goku was surprised, not by the speed with which his father sped off, but by the sheer volume of ki radiating off of him. He was easily several times stronger than Raditz, and appeared to not be straining himself in the least.

After a few minutes, Goku saw the other touch down, in what appeared to be some bizarre ruins. Why hell would have such a thing, Goku figured was best left unsaid.

Once he landed, he could see it, a glowing disk of energy, bright, and giving off colors that he didn't know existed; ones that he couldn't dream of putting a name to.

"So, this is it then, this thing will take me back to Snake Way?" Goku said.

Bardock coughed into his hand briefly. "Not quite...It won't take you there, and certainly not to the point you fell...if my sources are right...you'll have to start all over again."

Goku nearly fell over in shock. "Damn it!" he said after steadying himself. "Well, I still have over eleven months...so hopefully this won't cost me much..."

Bardock nodded. "Indeed. Good luck, my son. I'd say I hope to see you soon...but that means you would have to die again, and be sent here. So I hope we never meet, unless they ever let me out of this damned place." he rubbed the back of his head, before laughing to himself.

Goku smirked, before turning around. "One more thing..." he said, with his back to Bardock, "Tell Raditz, tell him that I've forgiven him for what he did. Who knows, maybe I can convince my friends into bringing him back as well, eventually ."

Without another word, he jumped into the portalm

...

And straight out of King Yemma's desk.

The Otherworld judge had seen many strange things, but this was easily the most bizarre incident in the past several decades. Of course, he knew full well of the portal in hell. And that those condemned to hell could not pass back through it. He also knew that it had been undergoing some fort of temporal disturbance lately, with it's endpoint fluctuating randomly. He had been told, that the problem was fixed. Apparently that information wasn't entirely accurate, otherwise his drawer would have never flew open of it's own accord, with Son Goku nearly falling into his lap.

Goku, likewise, was equally surprised where ended up. And very embarrassed. But he knew time was short, and that he couldn't afford to waste it on a lengthy explanation. "Sorry about your papers King Yemma, but I don't have time to explain this one...I have a lot of lost ground to make up for."

Out the door he went, in a flash, beginning his journey anew.

* * *

><p><em>Three months after the battle with Raditz...<em>

A series of explosions tore across a large, rocky landscape. Piccolo smirked, and took a brief moment to admire his handy work. But he knew better than to get caught too distracted by the scenery. He was reminded of this when an orange blur shot of of the debris cloud, and straight towards him. Piccolo darted up into the air, before hearing something from below.

"Masenko...Haaaa!"

The purple blast tore through the space between him and the boy, giving him just enough time to cross his arms, in an effort to shield himself. The heat from the explosion shredded his cape, and he nearly winced at the burning sensation as the flesh on his arms was seared to a crisp. The burning smell lingered in his nose for several seconds, but that didn't concern him. Gohan had become so much stronger since he had began training him, and was remarkably quick at learning new techniques. He was already nearly at the level he displayed against Garlic Junior, and he no longer had to rely on his anger to maintain that level of power. Piccolo knew he was guilty of provoking the boy, to try and bring more of his inner strength to the surface. To that end, he had often paid for his actions, with Gohan often reaching levels of power that surpassed his own. But that wasn't the only reason he did so, Gohan was able to control his power better, even in a state of rage, without passing out. He was also able to remember his explosive outbursts, not always with clarity, but he was mostly aware of what transpired when he did lose it. And that was Piccolo's ultimate goal, to teach him to always be in control of himself, no matter how angry or enraged he became.

Piccolo felt a lot of pride because of this. Not just as a teacher, but in Gohan as well. His progress was nothing short of amazing. Soon, Piccolo knew, he would have to start fighting all out in their little spars. And if he didn't watch it, the boy might even surpass him. Not that he was a slouch, by any means. His own power had grown immensely since fighting Raditz. In fact, he was confident that if he could go back and fight that Saiyan, that he could probably win without any help. Not that it would be an easy fight, but it still spoke volumes for his progress.

The green warrior spun to the side, avoiding a tiny fist that had been aimed square at his nose. Out of reflex, he fired a set of eye beams at his target, only for Gohan to cancel them out with his aura. Piccolo smirked, before rushing in and planting a fist deep into the child's gut, doubling him over. Piccolo could see tears still threatening to form in his eyes, but Gohan held them back through sheer determination. Then, surprising Piccolo, he grabbed his mentors wrist with both hands, and began focusing as much ki as possible into his palms.

With a roar of pain, Piccolo threw him off to the side, only to be rewarded with a sharp blow to his temple. He stopped himself a few hundred feet away, and saw the finger shaped burn marks on his skin. By then, the anger had passed, and he had to admit, he was a bit impressed with his students creativity. But when he looked and saw Gohan desperately blowing on his own hands, in an effort to cool them down, he had to repress a groan. The kid was pretty skilled, but he had a long way to go. That little blunder of his showcased that perfectly. Had it been on the battle field, and Piccolo an enemy, such a mistake could have proven fatal. Yet, he couldn't help but imagine Goku doing the same thing if he had been in the same predicament. The thought brought a smile to his lips, right before he rushed in towards Gohan.

The kid dodged the first strike, and tried to throw a kick in retaliation. Piccolo caught his foot, and spun him around, using his own movement to send him sailing into the distance. Gohan tried to right himself, but was quickly hammered into the ground by a palm strike from the other fighter.

By then, the sky was already growing dark, with the moon coming up over the horizon. Piccolo noted in passing that it was completely full. He saw that Gohan was looking up at it, starring blankly, which seemed odd. Something inside him clicked a moment later, when he remembered something Goku had told him. Apparently during a full moon, he would transform into a large ape, and completely lose control of himself. That is, until training under Kami. There, Goku had said, he learned to control himself, for the most part. But Gohan had never had any sort of training; in fact, he had never been allowed to stay up when there was going to be a full moon. Goku had said that he wasn't sure if Gohan could do the same thing, but it was for the best not to find out the hard way. Not yet at least.

Sheer coincidence had prevented him from seeing the moon, as he almost always spent the day training, and would be sound asleep by the time night fell. But Piccolo had a bad feeling about what was to happen. Goku was a Saiyan, meaning Gohan was half Saiyan. Transforming like that wasn't a human trait, as far as Piccolo knew, so if Goku could, then his son probably could as well, considering he had the tail too.

He was about to yell at Gohan to stop looking at the moon, when he felt a huge spike in the boys ki, and then a deafening roar. Piccolo could see that he was already several times his normal height, with fur beginning to sprout all over his body. Already Gohan's level of ki had surpassed his own, and was showing no sign of stopping.

Trying to stop the transformation would be foolish, considering how easily it could backfire on him. Plus, he didn't want to risk injuring Gohan, at least not severely. A thought hit him, that he could blow up the moon. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he had the power to do so. What the old hermit, Master Roshi did at the 21st Martial Arts tournament was nothing more than a clever illusion. This was another thing Goku told him. For the longest time everyone thought that he really had the power to blow it up. Foolishness. All he did was blast a massive chunk out of it, with all dust and debris from it masking it's reflective light, making it nearly impossible to see from earth. Well, the blast did knock it out of it's orbit as well, hence Kami's restoration of it, but that was besides the point.

Destroying the moon and destabilizing its orbit were two very different things. But he was over a dozen times stronger than what the old man had been back then, so Piccolo figured it might be worth a shot. The trick was in gathering the energy to do so. He had been training, and had greatly reduced the charge time for his Special Beam Cannon, all without losing any significant amount of power; but it still took over a minute to charge up completely.

The transformation was nearly over, and Gohan's power was finally starting to level off. By Piccolo's estimate, Gohan had increased his power roughly tenfold, making the boy well over five times stronger than he was. To fight him head on would be suicide, a power like that could take him out in a single, well placed hit. No, he had to be more clever than that. Gohan was at least fifty feet in height now, so his speed probably didn't increase in proportion to his power. Still, it was best not to take chances, as even a glancing blow could prove debilitating. His own giant form would be useless as well; all it did was make the user larger, and spread their attack power over a larger surface, it did nothing to increase one's raw power. That lesson had been taught to him the hard way, by Goku of all people.

So before the building sized ape could get his bearings and spot him, Piccolo decided to put his hastily made plan into action. Gohan could sense energy normally, but with his mind clouded by rage driven instinct, his usage of that ability might be poor, at best.

Quickly, he concentrated his own energy, and used the multi-form technique to create an identical copy. At least from the out side it looked the same. In reality, he had managed to improve the technique, to the point that he could control exactly how much ki went into the duplicate, and what attributes that ki went to. This particular one had less than a third of his power, but all that power was focused on speed. Meaning that copy would have next to zero attack power, but would be nearly as fast as he was. Perfect for distracting the ape.

His copy immediately took off, flying towards Gohan at top speed. When he was within a few hundred meters, he formed a small orb of ki in his hand. "Hey, you over grown monkey, try this on for size!"

As Gohan turned around, snarling wildly, the clone fired the bolt straight into his eye. The explosion did little damage, but did cause the ape to take a step backward as it nursed its wounded eye.

After that, the Piccolo duplicate began flying in wide arcs around the massive being, careful to dodge any of his clumsy swipes.

The real Piccolo gave a grimace, before bursting off toward the sky. As soon as he was above the cloud bank he took a brief glance down. He couldn't even see the copy, and Gohan looked no larger than a speck of dust. But he could see the occasional flash of light, both from his other self, and from the creatures own maw. As quickly, and quietly as possible he flared up his aura, intent on gathering as much energy as possible.

A good forty seconds later, he felt a sudden jolt, and then a small rush of ki. That only could have meant that the duplicate had been destroyed. Which was all part of his plan, as the the technique was designed to return all the energy to the original body upon the destruction of the clone. Piccolo had counted on that as well, as he wasn't sure if he could blow up the moon without his full power. But now, it was a race against time until he was spotted.

In the distance, he heard a loud roaring noise. _Come on...just a few more seconds._

He tried not to allow it to distract him, despite the fact that it was growing louder. But when a large beam ripped through the stratosphere, less than fifty feet from him, he knew he was out of time.

_Shit...I didn't think he would be THAT fast in such a huge body, if this doesn't work, the planet might be wiped out before those Saiyans ever get here._

Right then he felt Gohan's massive energy signature, less than a hundred meters away. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the beast appear right behind him, muzzle already glowing with energy.

"Damn it all...it's now or never, SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" he roared, as he fired the corkscrew beam off into space, towards its target.

On instinct, he manage to flip underneath the massive mouth blast, the heat causing him to break into a sweat, despite how chilly it was at that altitude. Then came the fist, which he barely avoided. But the wind from the punch was enough to blast him back several meters. A bright flash lit up the night sky, and when he looked, he could see that the moon had been almost entirely obliterated. Luckily, most of the pieces appeared to be rather small, and would burn up harmlessly within the Earth's atmosphere. The bigger problem would be the massive tidal effects caused by the moons destruction, and Piccolo felt guilty of all the damages that were sure to happen because of it. But it was the lesser of two evils, if Gohan had been left to run wild, millions could have been dead by morning, possibly even more.

Feeling almost drained of energy, Picolo turned to see that Gohan was already shrinking back down to his normal size. Thinking ahead, he rushed down, grabbing the boy just as he began to fall. Within a few minutes, Piccolo touched down on a large Mesa, and using his materialization to spawn a small blanket, and a fresh gi for Gohan.

The thought crossed his mind to remove the tail, but Piccolo decided against it. The moon was gone, so what was the point in doing so now?

He looked at Gohan and shook his head, unable to keep a smile from forming on his lips. "Damn you kid...you've put me through hell, and yet, I can't help but think that its all going to be worth it in the end.

* * *

><p>From his vantage point, many miles above the Earth's surface on the Lookout, Kami saw the entire spectacle unfold. While it was true Piccolo should have been more careful, at the same time, the guardian understood that it wasn't fair to blame him for Gohan's transformation. With the threat that was already approaching, it was little surprise that he wouldn't remember something that Goku only briefly mentioned once or twice. That was a painful subject for the young man to think about. Considering what it reminded him of. His adopted grandfather, the one he named his son after, had died from being stepped on by a large beast. That was what Goku had thought at least. The young Saiyan had found him the morning after, broken and barely clinging to life. Sheer force of will was the only thing that kept the old man alive, with nearly all his bones broken, and his organs ruined. He lived just long enough to tell Goku that it wasn't his fault, and to never blame himself for what happened.<p>

For years that was the case, with Goku believing that it was some giant monster that killed his granddad. He had transformed several times since, but fortunately, no one was ever seriously injured, and his rampages were always cut short. At the same time, no one ever opted to tell the boy. Whether that was a good idea or not, Kami couldn't say for sure, as he had made many decisions in the past, and often suffered for many of them. Piccolo was one of them. When Daimao used his last moments to create him, Kami had foolishly believed that he was evil incarnate, reborn into a new body. Despite many showings to the contrary as the younger Piccolo quickly grew up, he still held fast to that belief. He had even urged Goku to kill him back at the tournament, even though it meant his own death, and the loss of the Dragon Balls.

How foolish and ignorant he had been. If he had done the right thing, and taken Daimao's spawn in, before his sires darker impulses had a the chance to take root, so much pain and anguish could have been avoided. Instead he shunned him, and he knew that Piccolo might never forgive him for that. But, seeing his dark sides reincarnation now, Kami had to admit, that things had still worked out rather nicely, though the road there had been long and treacherous. Goku had saw in Piccolo, what Kami himself had missed. Good. Or at least the potential for it. It had taken Kami years, but eventually he had pieced it together.

And when he did, he realized Daimao's biggest mistake. Piccolo Daimao and himself used to be one being. When Kami cast him out, he had unknowingly transferred a part of his own essence into the demon. Due to that, their lifeforces were forever intertwined. If one died, the other would surely follow within minutes. Daimao, whether by conscious thought, or pure instinct, had managed to repress that infinitesimal element of good within himself, burying it deep within his psyche.

The demon was never able to figure out a way to sever that connection between he and Kami. Which was a shame, because if he had, Kami knew that he could have struck Daimao down in an instant.

When he was dying, he grew desperate. Yet, he was also selfish. He could have easily coughed up only his essence, not only ensuring his own reincarnation, but leaving his link with Kami behind in his dying body. That would have sealed Kami's fate, and allowed Daimao to return, free of restraint. But he thought that by doing so, he would lose himself, his identity. Not wanting to go a second without that, he did something different.

He passed on as much of his own evil as he could, all of his vile ambitions and impulses, along with most of his memories. It wouldn't be enough though, to create a complete being, not with him hogging the majority of his original person. So he searched, till he found that one piece, that one remaining fragment of Kami's soul that was still within him. Seeing the chance to not only create a being to follow in his footsteps, but sever his link to Kami, all in one fell swoop, he eagerly did so.

Yet it was that action that allowed not only Kami to live, through the connection in Piccolo, but for the latter to become a complete individual, with his own free will. It also gave him an innate goodness, that despite being molded by darkness, could eventually overcome it. With the proper guidance of course.

That was provided for him. Goku's words, and his act of mercy had a profound effect on the former demon, even if Piccolo didn't know it right away. Then Gohan helped finish what his father started, breaking Daimao's hold on him, and driving away the darkness in his heart. True, he wasn't perfect, but he no longer did things out of malice or evil.

Hence the guilt Kami could sense over his destruction of Earth's celestial body. The guardian could tell how much his actions were weighing on him. But the same thing had happened when Master Roshi knocked the moon from it's orbit more than a decade before. As he was the appointed god, or guardian as he preferred to be called, he had the ability to manipulate a great many things on the planet. The tides were one of them. Of course, he could never counter the effects completely, but through enough focus, he was able to greatly reduced the damages, till the Earth's oceans stabilized. In time, if the moon was restored, he would have to do the same. Assuming he lived to see that day.

But Piccolo didn't know that, and was afraid that his actions might have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, from the runaway tides. However, it was by far the lesser of two evils. Gohan, in that state, was immensely powerful. With no means to control it, had he found his way to any population centers, the damage would have been catastrophic. Tens, maybe even hundreds of millions could have been killed; and though it was through no flaw of his own, Piccolo's estimate had been very conservative. Yes, deaths were inevitable, that much was certain. Possibly thousands, but it was still the better course of action than just leaving Gohan be. And it saved the boy's conscience, should he ever become aware of what he had done.

Now that ordeal was done, and Kami found himself breathing a sigh of relief. Piccolo had come so far, and all of it without him. Yet, just as Piccolo felt pride in his students actions, so Kami found the same in Piccolo. The young warrior had come so far, in such a short time. And Kami couldn't help but feel that he was destined for more. How, he couldn't say for sure. It was just a notion he had.

Then he remembered something. The others training on the lookout had made great progress, but it would soon be the time for a test. Krillin, Gohan and Piccolo would have their own, soon. But it was time for the rest of the Earth's defenders to get an idea of just what they were going to be up against.

Which is why he soon found himself walking, to the inner chambers of his lookout. As expected, Mister Popo had brought them all to the appropriate spot. It was a large room, nearly pitch black. But that wasn't what made it stand out so much. Their walls and floor nearest to the center were covered in patterns of light, in the shape of various clocks. The center space was shaped like a clock as well, with strange symbols that appeared to signify numbers. Inside that outer layer, was a dark red unearthly light, in the shape of a pentagram. Overhead, was a massive pendulum, swinging nearly ten feet over the floor.

With a cough, he quickly addressed the group. "Well then, I can see that you all are wondering why I've brought you here, and precisely what this test is."

"To be honest, we sure are." Yamcha said.

Chaoutzu looked around, nodding towards Tien. "Yeah, this place is not what I expected."

"Gives me the creeps." Yajirobe said with a shiver. "I mean, not that I'm actually scared or anything."

Tien smirked at him. "So I guess your legs are trembling from excitement, then?"

The samurai huffed in annoyance.

"Then I suppose an explanation is in order. Where you are right now is the Pendulum Room. By standing on that circle in the center, you can go back in time, to a given point in the past. Today, that will be of my choosing. Don't worry, you will all find that it has everything to do with the trials you are soon to face. Keep this in mind though. Your bodies will remain here, and you will not suffer any physical harm from whatever happens. But to your minds, there will be no difference. Any sensations that you can feel here are what you can and will feel wherever the room sends your minds." Kami observed the reactions of his students. He could see the uncertainty in some, and knew that he had to give them the option to back out if they felt they weren't yet ready.

"If any of you think that you can't handle what is to happen, feel free to say so. You will be allowed to continue training here, until you consider yourself ready for what the room has to offer."

Tien, Yamcha and Chaoutzu all looked at each other. With an unspoken agreement, they all nodded their heads. All except one.

Yajirobe looked as if he wanted to bolt from the room. But when he saw their determination, he quickly made up his mind. If they were willing to brave the unknown, then so was he. If he backed out now, he might be considered a coward. And that was a perception he desperately wanted to change. "No way I'm letting you guys show me up like that. Count me in too!"

"So were all on the same page then. Good. Now, just step into the center and close your eyes. The room will do the rest." After that, Kami took a deep breath, wiping some sweat from his brow. The Pendulum Room always was a few degrees warmer than the rest of the Lookout, and its temporal properties could be nausea inducing after prolonged time.

The _team _of _four _journeyed to the circle. The light grew brighter, and several purple _star_ shaped patterns flashed across the ceiling. Then they faded and the lights dimmed, with the swinging pendulum appearing to drain all color from the room. The next thing they saw was a flash of light, and a falling sensation, into a black abyss.

* * *

><p>After a few seconds, the blackness began to fade, and slowly a world began to take shape before their eyes. Dreary, with a deep amber colored sky. Overhead dark blue storm clouds brewed, lightening crackling periodically.<p>

The gravity felt a lot heavier, but since they didn't have weighted clothes on here, it did little to encumber any of them.

From the looks of things, they were on the fringes of a ruined city. Buildings, not like those on Earth, but still bearing some degree of similarity, were crumbling all over. The place looked like a war zone, only one where the war had ended years before. Together they walked down the broken streets, trying to ignore the stench permeating the air. Despite the fact that the city appeared empty, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Because of that, they all had their guard up, just in case. Given that this was part of one of Kami's tests, then something was bound to happen.

"This place, like something straight out of a horror story..."Yamcha muttered. "What could have caused all this, or who for that matter?"

Yajirobe grunted. "Beats me. Whoever, or whatever is responsible, sure looks like its long gone now...still, I think I take back what I said about that room, I'd much rather be there right now."

"Same here." Tien said. His days as an assassin weren't pleasant to think of. Killing people, for money...even if most hadn't been innocent, still left a bad taste in his mouth to this day. But he had learned a lot from those days, and from training under Master Shin. Namely, he had learned a great deal on the art of stealth, as well as developing a keen sixth sense for when one was stalking him.

Yamcha figured the same thing. His life up until meeting Goku and Bulma wasn't as violent as Tien's, but it was filled with strife nonetheless, always scapping and stealing, trying to survive in a hostile desert. So while his senses weren't as refined, and his manner typically much more casual, he could still tell something wasn't right.

From inside an alleyway a came a clanking sound, like metal on concrete. The group inched closer, taking note of every detail of their environment. Yamcha moved to push aside some rubble, only for a pile of moldy clothing to fall on top of him. In annoyance, he attempted to swat it away, but in doing so he caused them to nearly disintegrate knocking the garments former occupant out, and onto his shoulder. All that was left was a skeleton, with only a few rotten tendons and fragments of flesh holding it together. The way it fell, made it look like it was locked into a morbid embrace with the former bandit, as it's skull rested on the crook of his neck, and its arms around the center of his body.

Nearly screaming, he flailed about, finally knocking the remains back into the dark alley.

Still white in the face, Yamcha couldn't help but stutter out his next sentence. "Gah, where the hell did that come from?"

Tien glanced around for a moment, before turning back to his companion,"Probably a victim of whoever attacked this town. Don't worry, its not like it was still alive."

"No, but were are" a voice said from out of the shadows.

"Yes. Don't concern yourselves with the dead, otherwise you might wind up joining them even sooner." A second voice. Then laughter sounding as if it were coming from all directions.

Everyone tensed up, trying to get a feel on where exactly the two newcomers were hiding.

"Thats it!" Tien roared, tired of the nonsense. "Enough of these damn games, cowards!"-"Either come out and fight, or get lost."

"My, my...big words coming from such a weakling." Scoffed the second voice.

"Yes. The scouter lists your power as just over a thousand."-"Alright Brocko, lets come out and play."

"A very fine idea, Onoin."

Two warriors, dressed in strange armor came swaggering out of the alley. One was tall, about Tiens height, with long scraggly hair going halfway down his back. The other, was of a more modest stature, barely reaching Yamcha's chest in height. He also appeared to be the older of the two, with thinning, receding hair.

Yamcha noticed something strange, not just their armor, but the fact that the had tails. Exactly like what Goku had.

His eyes widened, "You two...you're Saiyans, aren't you?"

"What gave it away, huh scarface? What did you expect to find on Planet Vegeta, Namekians?" With that, the two erupted into a fit of laughter.

After a few moments that tapered off to a quiet, menacing chuckle. "I think its only fair that they be properly introduced to their executioners though, don't you agree?" the shorter one said, as he cast a wicked glance toward his taller compatriot.

"Seems fitting. Well then scum, my name is Brocko." the taller fighter said, with a dark grin plastering his face.

"Hmph. I'm Onoin. Now that the introductions are over with, we'll be sending you all to hell now. Trust me, it will hurt, alot."

"You think so, guess we'll have to see about that then, won't we?" Tien said.

Immediately afterwords, he opened a mental link with Chaoutzu. With his superior psychic abilities, he opened a full link between all four of them.

_"Okay guys, I have a plan."_ Tien said.

Yajirobe struggled to stop the shaking of his arms and legs. "_Well I hope its a good one then, cause those two look tough as hell."_

_"And can you sense the ki their putting out...incredible..."_ Chaoutzu spoke, sounding more impressed with their opponents power than he did worried.

_"We're not that weak ourselves, but let them think that for now. With your help Chaotzu, I think I can make short work of the long haired one. He seems a bit stronger anyway. Yamcha, you and Yajirobe can handle the short, ugly one."_

_"Hey, why do we get stuck with the ugly-"_ The Samurai said, before Yamcha cut him off. "_No, Tien's probably right with this one. Either way, I for one agree with his judgment."_

_"So its settled, on my mark, rush your target." _The triclops smirked.

"What they hell do you find so funny there freak?" Brocko said. To that, Tien charged up a small ball of ki.

"Okay everyone, attack!" and in an instant, he chucked the orb at the Saiyan. Brocko laughed, and made to swat the blast away, but with a gesture of his hand, Tien sent it soaring into the sky. As he saw the confused expression on his enemy's face, he flicked his hand downward, sending the orb crashing into the ground below the others feet.

Taking advantage of that, he flew in, and planted a first firmly in the warriors gut, doubling him over in pain. Tien was about to pull back, but Brocko suddenly lunged forward, delivering a powerful headbutt, knocking the man back in a daze. His foe stunned, the Saiyan charged in, landing a kick that sent Tien crashing through several ruined houses. Before he could fire a blast at him, Brocko's scouter went off, and he jerked his head to the right. When he did, he turned right into a haymaker, that sent him reeling end over head. Within seconds he was back, hand outstretched, inches from Chaoutzu's face.

"You're out of your league here clown, so get lost!" a black ball of ki shot out, taking the hapless fighter along with it, till it detonated several hundred feet later in the middle of a skyscraper.

In the distance, a sudden boom went off, as Tien blasted himself out of the rubble."Damn you!"

Seconds later, he was on the Saiyan once more, decking him clean in the face. Brocko recovered quickly and delivered another strike, causing Tien to groan in pain as he blocked it with his forearm. Several more times they clashed, the shock waves made from each strike pulverizing all that remained of that city block. Chaoutzu had already pulled himself from the debris, but was blown back by the shockwaves. As it was, he would have a tough time getting very close to the fight, and even if he did, he might end up getting hurt worse. From what he could tell, Tien was at a noticeable disadvantage as far as power and speed went. But skill was on his side, and because of that, the fight was almost even. The miniature fighter knew that he couldn't hold out forever. Even one slip up, and it could be over in an instant.

That was when he decided to help out in another way. He had done it before, most notably against Goku when he fought Tien back at the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament. He had been able to paralyze Goku on the spot, allowing Tien to get several free hits in. That got him the scolding of his life once Tien found out, but this was different. While Kami said nothing could actually happen to their bodies, Chaoutzu didn't want to take any chances. Given the stakes, he didn't think Tien would mind, given that this was a two versus one fight from the beginning. His only problem was that he didn't think he could paralyze the Saiyan completely, or for very long stretches at a time.

He had improved his psychic abilities greatly since that tournament, but he knew that the difference between that fighter's power and his own was far greater than than the one between him and Goku had been.

Still, anything to tip the odds in their favor.

...

Tien aimed a Dodon Ray at his opponent, but was surprised when the Saiyan managed to block it with a blast of his own. Taken off guard, he threw up his arm in at attempt to block the incoming blow, but it never came.

Instead, he saw the fighter hovering in mid air, struggling to move his limbs, as a pale aura surrounded his being. "What the...what the fuck is happening to me?!"

_Of course._

All it took as a single glance for Tien to know what happened. "Thanks Chaoutzu, I owe you one..." he whispered. Then he looked towards Brocko, with a maniacal grin. "Ha, that's it. You're finished, friend."

"No, wait-" that was all the Saiyan got out, before an elbow slammed into his throat. Limbs still unresponsive, he was unable to avoid the beam that dug deep into his back, going deep into the flesh before fizzling out.

...

...

Yamcha picked himself out from under some rubble. A few meters away he could see his opponent glaring at him, the smirk long gone from his features. Up in the sky, he could sense Tien's battle with the other crazed Saiyan, all the while wishing that his and Yajirobe's fight was going half as well. While they had injured the stubby Saiyan, it was not enough to slow his attack by any significant margin. His face was bloody, and his body covered in bruises, but it seemed like he hadn't lost any power. Yamcha on the other hand, was just as injured, and struggling for each breath. The only reason he was even alive was thanks to Yajirobe, who was barely even managing to find his feet. Unless they came up with something fast, they were done for.

Something hit him, something he should have figured out at the beginning. Yajirobe had a sword. So if Yamcha could distract the Saiyan long enough...

Straining, he opened up a link with the fat samurai."_No time for talk. I know you have a sword. I'll distract him, after that, you know what to do."_

The scarred ex-bandit didn't look to see if Yajirobe acknowledged him visually. There wasn't time, and if he hadn't heard him, then his next best chance would be of Tien bailing him out once his battle was over. Which from what Yamcha could see, might not be all that long, considering the pounding the three eyed warrior was giving that Saiyan.

Clenching his fist, Yamcha gathered a bit of ki into his hand. Instead of his usual, he decided to try something else that he had came up with. Putting more energy into it, it grew brighter, as gold and blue danced around his closed fist.

The Saiyan saw him, and smirked. That was all Yamcha needed to see. The bastard was overconfident, and from his posture, would eagerly take the blast head on, just to prove his superiority. A mistake that would cost him dearly.

In a blur of movement, he extended his palm, and thrust his hand forward. "Dodon Kamehameha!", the warring colors in his hand merged into a vibrant yellow-blue, and the beam shot forth from his hand towards Onoin.

The Saiyan reached out and caught the beam, but was being pushed backwards as he struggled to control it. Yamcha then used his free hand, and conjured a miniature version of his Spirit Ball. His focus on the main attack lowered, the balding warrior managed to brace himself, as he prepared to throw the blast back towards its owner.

"I don't think so. Take this!", the gestures he made with his other hand seemed erratic at first, but to one actually observing his second attack, they were clearly being done with perfect precision. The tiny orb flew around behind Onoin, and slammed into his back. The shock from that caused him to lose focus, with the other beam pulling him off and into the ground. One second later, a deafening explosion rocked the area, leveling almost every structure for almost half a mile around.

Panting slightly, Yamcha looked, and saw the evil Saiyan climbing shakily to his feet. The human was about to panic till he saw Yajirobe in the air mere feet behind him. The sword was drawn, and Yajirobe was poised to strike. All to late the Saiyan's scouter went off and he turned in time to see his fate.

With a chop diagonally from one side of his head, down to his elbow, the samurai cleaved the Saiyan in two. But he wasn't done, following up with a dozed other strikes, before leaping back as a sudden blast from Yamcha incinerated the remains.

"Hey, careful will ya, you almost got me with that!"

Yamcha merely chuckled, before turning his eyes to Tien's fight. By the way it looked, Tien was seconds away from victory.

Tien was hovering in the sky, only a few meters up. His shirt had been ripped to tatters, and one eye was swollen shut, but that was a lot more than he could say for his enemy. The aforementioned was lying face down, both arms broken, in a heap of rubble. That was thanks to Chaoutzu's powerful mental abilities keeping the Saiyan frozen in his tracks. By the time he had been able to fight back again, it had already been too late. His power had nosedived, making him nothing more than an interactive punching bag. But Tien could see that the other battle had ended, with the second Saiyan's ki having vanished completely.

The one below him was alive, if only barely. That was about to change. It was a dangerous move, but if he exercised proper control, it would pose no risk to his life. Not that he was terribly concerned, since none of what they had experience was actually real.

"Ki...Ko...Ho!"

Though he did his best to contain it, the explosion still managed to knock him backwards nearly a thousand feet. As he looked around, he saw the others had escaped it as well, and were closing in on his location. One last glance, and he could see the mushroom cloud reaching several miles into the mesosphere, blasting away whatever clouds were hanging around.

Then, all went black once more. The next time they opened their eyes, they were back in the Pendulum Room, in the Lookout.

In front of them, they could see Kami leaning on his staff, with a knowing smile on his face. "I take it everything went well then?"

Tien wiped the sweat from his brow, half expecting to find his hand coated in blood as well. "Yeah, we won. I got to say though, those two...those Saiyans, were by far the toughest thing I've ever faced in my life."

Around him, everyone else nodded.

"That's good to hear then. Perhaps I should let all of you in on something else. The place you went to was planet Vegeta, Goku, and the Saiyan's homeworld, about fifty years ago. I know that because of the North Kaio, whom I've been in contact with recently. No doubt the gravity was a lot heavier that here on Earth. Lucky for you this room has other abilities. What you experienced was only about half of the planets true gravitational pull, well, when it still existed. Which leads me to my next point. You know full well that the two that are heading for Earth are vastly stronger than Raditz, the one Goku and Piccolo faced."

"Yeah, I remember someone saying that." muttered Yajorobe.

Kami's expression became grave. "Then you should also know this. The Saiyans you fought, were only the equivalent of Raditz in power, give or take a minuscule amount.

"What, no way...that...that is unreal!" Yamcha stammered out.

Yajirobe gulped audibly, "Wha...what are we supposed to do then, how can we ever fight **_them_**?!"

Tien tightened his fists, till his palms were about to bleed. "The only thing we can do. We train even harder than before."

* * *

><p><em>One month later, over Snake Way.<em>

Goku had spent the past three and a half months flying, doing his best to make up for lost time. Only this time, he listened to the advice that road worker gave him, and tried to sleep at least a few hours every other day or so. On his way, he actually passed the same guy. The man was adamant in apologizing, once Goku told him what happened, and how he fell down to hell. But the young Saiyan assured him that it wasn't his fault, that he should have been more careful where he fell asleep.

So after a few more words, they had parted, and Goku resumed his travels. Now, after all that time, he finally saw what looked like a planet in the distance.

As he got closer, he could also see that the road ended up ahead, the tip looking appropriately enough like the tail of a snake.

The planet, as far as he could tell, appeared rather tiny. Probably no more than a few miles around. When he got close enough to the surface to see a house, with a red car parked in front, he knew he had reached his destination.

"Yes, I've did it. I've finally reach King Kai's..." only then did he notice that he was being pulled down again, by the planets powerful gravity.

"Wait a minute, what the hell is going on-" he never got a chance to finish his sentence, because sooner than he expected, the ground came up on him. For a moment he lied, several feet down, in a human shaped crater. The irony of him being almost six feet under was enough to make him laugh to himself. Reaching an arm up, he managed to grab the ledge. No sooner did his head pop outside the hole did he find himself face to face with a monkey.

"Are...are you King Kai?"

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Yajirobe (Three months of training): 1,284

Yajirobe (Exhausted and injured): 750

Chaoutzu: 1,409

Yamcha: 1,696

Yamcha (Tired and injured): 1,550

Yamcha (Dodon-Kamehameha):2,135

Yamcha (Spirit Ball): 1,000

Yamcha (After Dodon-Kamehameha/Spirit Ball combo): 1,148

Tien: 1,986

Tien (Restrained Kikoho): 2,450

Onoin: 2,200

Onion (Battle damaged): 2,157

Onion (After Dodon-Kamehameha/Spirit Ball combo):1,431

Brocko: 2,306

Brocko (Wounded): 1,643

Krillin: 1,987

Gohan: 1,342

Oozaru Gohan: 13,420

Piccolo (Suppressed): 1,650

Gohan+Masenko: 1,630

Piccolo (Full power): 2,419

Piccolo Copy: 765

Piccolo (Moon Destroying Special Beam Cannon): 3,823

Ragnoron: 1,450

Nappa (Not full power): 3,000

Vegeta: ?

Bardock (Heavily suppressed): 15,000

Goku (Tired): 1,380

King Kai: ?

* * *

><p>And I have a tiny Team Four Star reference hidden in this. So an internet cookie to whoever finds it first.<p> 


	9. End of the Beginning

A/N: Got that one out faster than expected, and over 2k into the #10.

Not a lot on my mind, I'll be responding to some reviews:

tortoricin: Glad you like it. Though I must correct you, even though the room is filler, as far as the manga goes, it is still not called the Room of Spirit and Time. That is the one that is used during the Cell saga. The Pendulum Room is quite distinct, going by anime only continuity. But that was my point, to show that the humans are still useful, and that they won't just sit idly by and become useless fodder.

As for Bardock training Raditz, a very real possibility, though you'll have to wait a while before any more on that is revealed.

Kid Goku Forever: Yep, and its all to further Goku's character in the long run. Who knows, perhaps he will react differently in the future to a certain tyrant taunting him about their deaths.

Parselmaster: Seems like you in particular have an issue with how I've changed things, namely the humans not being so weak. Not to be rude, but since this isn't canon, and is a work of fiction, that means that it doesn't have to follow all the tropes and rules of the original. One of my biggest gripes in the show/manga was that they were useless almost from the start of Z, and here I plan to change that. Put it another way, the have greater potential in my story, and can have more meaningful gains from training than in canon (Not to mention that they are all training even harder here than in canon, and have been getting lessons from Kami since the beginning. Piccolo bringing Gohan is also a big help).

Not that they will always be in Piccolo/the Saiyans league, but they will always be strong enough to be relevant. Honestly, if you can accept Piccolo's 50x gain in 3 years (When he went from 3rd form Frieza tier to low SSj tier.), then you should be able to cope with anything. Again, not trying to be rude, just saying that since this is my story, I can and will take some liberties here and there.

I'm also a bit confused by what you meant in the second review, perhaps you could clarify in some way or another?

Now the disclaimer:

___**Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and any copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more and nothing less.**___

_Make sure to support the official release._

* * *

><p>Chi Chi stood gazing at the ocean, wearing a fighting uniform much like the one she wore at the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament. The only difference was that it had the symbol of the Turtle Hermit engraved on the front, in a small circular patch. The waves washing over her feet were relaxing, but she didn't dare let herself be lulled into a sense of security.<p>

Feeling the hint of a presence a few meters behind her, she cupped her hands, and began chanting the name of her husbands signature attack.

"Ka...me..ha..me..HAAAA!" the beam went a full five feet, before fizzling out with an explosive pop. A foot away from that point was Master Roshi. He was decked out in the same uniform that he had used when under the guise of Jackie Chun, except he opted to keep the sunglasses. The wig wasn't necessary, considering once he stopped shaving his scalp with ki, that his hair grew back well enough on its own. It was grey, and thin in the front, but like all other aspects of aging, had stopped once he had drank from the Fountain of Youth, nearly three hundred years before. Now he felt as fit as any man in the prime of life, it was a damn shame that he no longer looked the part.

That wasn't what concerned him however. His newest student took priority. And while others fancied him a pervert, and a lecher, he merely considered himself lonely and outgoing. This was Son Goku's wife however, and because of that, he had promised that he would keep his hands to himself. Her threatening to remove 'certain' 'body parts' only helped seal the deal.

_But I never said anything about not looking, heh heh heh._ Right then she spun around, attempting to surprise him with the attack he invented.

As he expected though, it faltered after only a couple seconds. It was impressive though how fast she was learning to use it, though clearly she expected better of herself.

"Damn...why can't I get it to work. Goku always made it look like nothing...even Gohan can control his energy better..." she stomped her foot, forgetting where she was standing. Because of that, her leg sunk nearly a foot down into the water logged sand, and were it not for the old hermit, she would have surely lost her balance and fallen face first into the water.

"I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Your husband and son are both exceptional cases. Neither of them are even human, well Gohan is half, but he still has the blood of a Saiyan pumping through his veins. I don't know what it is exactly, but something about them seems to make learning new abilities almost a second nature. So relax, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon. You are doing much better than I ever did, it took me a full fifty years to come up with that technique, yet here you are, about to master it in less than four months."

Hearing those words greatly lifted her spirits. In the time spent isolated in the middle of the ocean, she had learned precisely why Goku spoke so well of the old man. He was a womanizer, and a pervert to boot, but he was also very wise. Gifted even, especially regarding fighting and martial arts. And since her threat, he had been doing a very good job of keeping his hands to himself. Which meant that they tended to get along rather decently.

"Thanks old man. You know...my husband is going to have a surprise on his hands when he gets back. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to give him a run for his money."

Master Roshi chuckled at that. "Perhaps so..." deep down, he didn't believe that. Both of them had improved greatly. By his own estimate, he was nearly as strong as Goku had been, years ago, when he had first explained what was known of his heritage. She was doing well, and was about twice the level of King Piccolo, after his wish for youth. But even if she trained just as hard for the remaining months, he didn't think she would even be half as strong as that Saiyan, Raditz. He didn't dare tell her that though, it would be better for her training if she remained confident in herself.

"I guess if I want to get stronger, I can't slack off any. So how about we finish that spar we starter earlier?"

Master Roshi nodded, before spinning to avoid a kick to the face...

* * *

><p>"Are...are you King Kai?" Goku asked the monkey. It was different that those on Earth, more like a Chimpanzee than anything else, except with a tail.<p>

"Ehhhh!" it squealed loudly, as it flailed in its arms over its head, almost as if it were dancing.

"No...nobody told me that King Kai would like like this...I'm still not convinced, but if you're doing it then..."

With that, Goku began his best impersonation of a monkey, hooting and flailing his arms around like a manic. It made him feel ridiculous, yet was oddly liberating.

"I'd make a joke right about now, but I think it might ruin the act you got going on there." said a voice, with a tint of laughter to it.

Goku stopped and instantly spun around, his cheeks flushing out of embarrassment. He then looked back to the monkey, and to the newcomer again. He was short, and plump, with blue skin, and a set of antenna that made him resemble a massive bipedal catfish. Goku then spotted the symbol on his shirt. It looked a bit foreign but unless he was mistaken, it did say "Lord of Worlds".

A drop of sweat ran down the side of Goku's face,"Hold on a second...you must be King Kai then."

"Actually, I'm the Mayor of Switzerland, pleasure to meet your acquaintance." he said with a chortle. Upon seeing no visible reaction, he coughed to himself.

_I swear, no one has a sense of humor these days..._

King Kai gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course I'm King Kai. "Kaio of the Northern Quadrant" is my real title, but King Kai sounds so much less pretentious."

Goku gave a blank look, before chuckling quietly. "Hahaha, right, it's a joke. I get it now."

"Actually no, I was being serious that time. Speaking of serious, I think it's time we got down to business. I know exactly who you are, and why you're here."

Goku rubbed his chin, which after four months, was finally showing signs of stubble forming. "You...you do?" he said, sounding more confused than he actually was.

"Well of course. I didn't get this job on account of my good looks alone you know. But yes, Son Goku, King Yemma informed me of the situation you were facing, so I've been awaiting your arrival for quite some time now. And-" he said, as he paused to look at the watch on his wrist, "You're about three weeks later than I expected you to be. Don't worry, I know all about your little tumble off Snake Way and into hell. Good thing I told Bardock all about that portal years ago, otherwise you'd still probably be stuck down there."

"How is that possible...I mean, he said he was stuck down there, I didn't think he could leave like that."

"That's the thing. He can't. At least not all the he died, he was a conqueror of worlds, much like your brother, Raditz. But he never really took pleasure in what he did, and he felt remorse before he was killed. In fact, he died a hero, trying to prevent the destruction of his, and your, home planet. Because of that, after spending couple decades in hell, King Yemma reopened his case. Since he had behaved himself, and had actually worked to keep hell as peaceful as possible, he was granted a reprieve. For one week out of the year, he is allowed to visit venture beyond the gates of hell."

King Kai snickered at his joke, before continuing. "He can't enter heaven, or the Fighters Paradise, but he can at least explore the rest of what Otherworld has to offer. Me and him met in like that, about ten years back actually. Showed right up on my doorstep one morning, a lot like you, except without the advance warning...I mean notice."

"I see, hey wait, what did you mean when you said he died 'trying' to save the planet? What exactly happened to it?" Goku said, a pout nearly forming on his face.

"That...that we'll have to get to another day. You've got a lot of work still ahead of you Goku. And that is assuming you can even pass my test."

Goku raised an eyebrow. "And that would involve fighting in some way?"

"Yes and no. Your first test is simple. Make me laugh."

"Make you laugh? How is that going to help me get any stronger?" Goku whined.

"To truly better oneself as an individual, one must work on all aspects of their being. So come on chuckles, that was a class act you put on earlier with my pet monkey Bubbles, so surely a quick one liner wouldn't be too much for you right now.

That made Goku really have to think. Fighting was his forte, not being a comedian. Then again, part of being a father was knowing how to make your child laugh, especially if they were either hurt or upset over anything. Digging deep into his repertoire of jokes, his mind finally settled on one, a favorite of his and Gohan.

"Okay King Kai, I got one for you. Why did the math book always look so sad?"

The god raised an eyebrow, curious as to where this one would go. "I don't know Goku, why?"

"Because he always had a lot of problems." the Saiyan said with a chuckle.

At first the expression on the Kaio's face remained the same, but slowly a smile crept over his features. After nearly half a minute, he couldn't contain himself, and fell to the ground, rolling with laughter.

Finally the portly creature stood back up, quietly laughing to himself. "Hahaha, oh that ones a classic. It's been at least a couple hundred years since someones told me that."

"I take it I passed the first test?"

"Yes you did my boy. The second test will probably be something more up your alley. All you have to do, is land a single punch on me, after you have-"

Before he got the word out, in a fit of excitement, Goku had rushed forward, fist cranked back. To his astonishment, King Kai caught his punch with nothing more than his index finger. Then almost casually, he flicked him on the forehead with the middle finger on his other hand, the force nearly knocking him to the ground. "As I was saying, after you have rested up and had a bite to eat. That way you'll be at full strength that way and-"

"You have food here!" Goku said, his voice high with excitement. "I haven't eaten in so long, where is it King Kai?"

Doing to his best to ignore the drooling, he pointed to his house, which still had its front door ajar. "Right in there, try not to eat the table. Otherwise you might spoil your dessert."

He didn't even get a chance to see Goku's reaction, because the next second the Earth raised Saiyan was already inside, devouring everything on the kitchen table that even looked remotely edible.

"I hope he isn't like this all the time, otherwise I might be eaten out of house and home...literally."

Running a hand over his face, he walked inside to check of on his newest student. Fortunately from what he could tell, all of his furniture and appliances were intact and accounted for. Which was more than what he could say for the food, which was down to little more than a few scattered crumbs.

"Always the same with you Saiyans huh?"-"Good think I thought ahead and had a bite to eat before you got here...Bardock was the exact same way, and frankly, I have no idea where you all find room to put it."

Goku resisted the urge to belch loudly, before patting his stomach gently. "Guess it must be a Saiyan trait...none of my friends back on Earth can eat half as much. Heck, Piccolo only seems to drink water."

"Well," King Kai said, doing his best to ignore Goku's rambling, "If you're done stuffing your face, we can skip the second test, and proceed to the real training."

In an instant Goku was on his feet, almost bouncing with excitement. "You really mean it King Kai?"

"Why not? This is serious business after all."

The two proceeded outside once more, after walking the short distance, Goku took note of how much heavier he felt, and that he was already nearly out of breath. Which was strange to him.

"Hey King Kai, I've been meaning to ask, but why do I feel so much heavier here?"

The Kaio chuckled to himself. "That is very simple. My planets gravity is about ten times that of Earth. So until you get used to it, try not to let it drag you down." Again he snickered at his joke, which reminded him of Goku's arrival on his planet.

For once his unique sense of humor didn't go over Goku's head, and the young man managed a brief laugh himself. Then he thought back to the first part of King Kai's statement. "So, ten times then...guess it's a good thing ditched my weighted clothing about a month back on Snake Way...otherwise I probably wouldn't even be able to stand up right now."

A flicker of light flashed behind the blue skinned Kai's sunglasses. "You don't say, well that gives me the perfect idea for your first training exercise. Goku, I want you to do five hundred laps around the planet."

Having missed the glint in his new teachers eyes, Goku smirked, before beginning his warm up stretches. "Well, that doesn't sound so bad."

After cracking his neck, he was about to take off, before King Kai's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Not so fast Goku, you're forgetting something."

Goku was about to ask what he could be forgetting, but then he saw the god's antennae moving back and forth, with a light blue glow surrounding them. "There, that should do it. Two hundred pounds, though with this gravity I guess it's actually a couple thousand."

Right away Goku was pulled to the ground, earning a grunt of pain from the Saiyan and another laugh from the planets owner. "Then again, like they say, no pain no gain, now off you go!"

Slowly Goku managed to pull himself to his feet, before staggering off in a clumsy attempt at jogging. King Kai simply walked over to his lawn chair, knowing that he would have quite a wait on his hands till Goku was finished. Less than a minute after he sat down, sound much like an explosion shook the immediate are. And sure enough, as he gazed off into the distance, King Kai could see a cloud of dust rising slowly into the sky.

...

Finally, after a good ten hours, Goku came trudging over the horizon. Every part of his body was on fire, and each step felt like a hundred miles.

King Kai heard his footsteps, made many fold louder by the extra weight, as he approached. When the Saiyan was only a few meters off, the overseer stood from his chair, and nodded in approval.

"Not bad Goku, not bad. I was expecting you to take at least another hour to finish those last dozen or so laps. Here, I'll remove those weights for the time being, and you can take break."

A simple "thanks King Kai..." was all Goku managed to say as he stumbled over in a heap, sound asleep.

...

...

Two more months passed, marking the halfway point in the countdown till Vegeta and Nappa arrived on Earth.

During that time, Goku had been training diligently under the guidance of the North Kaio. Everything, even the grueling regimen he faced under Kami paled in comparison to what he was having to undergo now. Yet the spiky haired warrior couldn't be any happier. Yes it was nearly unbearable at times, but he felt that he was making greater gains than ever before, in considerably less time. Why, he reckoned that he was easily twice as strong as when he died, if not more.

So far though, his training had been focusing on power and speed, with little in the way of new techniques or fighting styles. Today, that was to change.

King Kai was greatly impressed with his newest pupil. In the last few hundred years, he couldn't recall a fighter that showed greater potential.

_Perhaps he will be the first who can truly master the Kaioken._ King Kai thought with a serious look on his face.

It was a very powerful move, at even its most basic level, it would amplify the users power by a full fifty percent. Yet it was very dangerous, and notoriously tricky to master. A single mistake could mean instant destruction at the cellular level, which would result in instantaneous death.

One more test was in order, to see if the man was truly capable of learning the ability.

Well, not so much a test as a spar. Which was something he knew Goku could handle.

The deity stood from his chair, his back popping with a dull groan. His spiky haired student was several meters up in the sky, working on his speed and evasion tactic by having to avoid a high powered orb of ki. And that was with four hundred pounds of clothing, which with the planets gravity, added up to an extra four thousand pounds of weight.

With a flick of his wrist, King Kai simultaneously removed all excess weight and nullified the ball of energy chasing Goku. This was noticed immediately by Goku, who was thrown off balance by the sudden reduction in his mass. Soon as he regained his sense of balance, he smirked to the god, before descending to ground level.

"Hey there King Kai, I thought you wanted me to keep practicing for at least another four hours, so whats up?" he said while scratching his head.

"Well yes, I was. But I've decided on a change of plans. Goku, how would you like to learn one of my greatest techniques?"

Goku nodded his head repeatedly, a big grin emerging across his face, "Would I ever...what exactly does it do?"

King Kai smiled. "It's a very complicated ability. At its lowest level, it increases your power by one and a half times. The next level doubles your power, and so on and so forth. But that is the thing, it is extremely dangerous to use. Without precise control, you could damage your body severely, or worse, overload it to the point that you explode on the spot."-"So this I must ask you, do you think your ready for such a technique?" the Kai said gravely.

Goku spent a moment pondering that question. With that, even if he found himself outmatched in battle, he could easily turn the tables on an opponent. On the flip side, the move could instantly cripple, or even kill him if he wasn't too careful. But a reward was pointless without the risk, so with that, his mind was made up.

"Yes. I...I think I'm ready." he said, face becoming stern.

"Good. But first you must pass one last test. More of a spar than anything else, and I know you've been dying to see how strong I am." the god said, laughing at his joke quietly. But in the blink of an eye, the amused expression on the gods face vanished, and a faint aura appeared around him.

"Sounds fair enough, I have been wanting to know just what your made of...I won't go easy on you though, so get ready." With that, Goku got into his signature turtle school fighting stance.

"Don't worry about me Goku, I'll be fine. All you need to do is last three minutes, without losing consciousness."

"Piece of cake..." Goku muttered, but he had already gotten a feel of the Kai's energy signal, and he suddenly found himself far less confident. But he refused to back out of a fight, least of all not this one. So with a mighty yell, he rushed in.

King Kai sidestepped the first blow with ease, then proceeded to block a knee to the face with an open palm. Not wanting to be at his mercy, Goku turned a fired a blast of white hot ki into his masters face. The explosion prompted him to release Goku's leg, allowing the Saiyan to put several meters between them. When Goku turned back around, he was shocked to see that other than a couple scuff marks, King Kai was completely unharmed.

After that, it was his turn to go on the defensive, as he struggled to block and parry the blows that were rained down upon him. What unnerved him the most was that he was using his arms and legs to block everything, while King Kai was only using a single arm. Finally he slipped up, and was dealt a powerful uppercut, following by open palmed strike that sent him sprawling across the grass.

"Come on Goku, still another two minutes to go. I know you can do better than this." the portly god said, wagging a single finger.

Goku gritted his teeth, and pried himself out of the ground. Then he grinned, before charging a small ball of ki in his hand, "You're right, I can do better."

Then he entered a stance more akin to that of Piccolo. "Masenko..." he said, as the orb turned from blue to purple. ..."HAAA!" the beam ripped through the air, straight towards the Kaio.

Goku saw him smirk, knowing that he would try and catch the blast. Right as the god held out a hand to stop the beam, Goku released his hold on it and darted off into the sky.

King Kai saw this a second too late, and was unable to avoid the boot that struck his cheek, sending him spiraling into the blast. A second later a thundering bang went off, knocking Goku back several meters. As the smoke cleared, he saw the Kai burst forth from the cloud, clothes heavily burned, but otherwise mostly unharmed.

"Arghh, how am I going to explain that one to the dry cleaners!" after putting out the last few embers, he phased out of Goku's line of sight. The Saiyan tried pinpointing his location, to no avail. A fraction of a second later, he found a fist firmly planted in his stomach. Fighting back the nasuea and pain, he attempted to headbutt the Kai. That too failed, with the god catching the blow with two fingers. One final kick, and Goku was sent speeding to the ground. As he was struggled to sit up, King Kai descended in front of him.

"Hmmm. Three minutes and forty nine seconds, very well done. And you haven't even lost consciousness. Tell you what, you take a couple hours to eat, rest, whatever, and meet me back out here. I'll be glad to teach you what I know then."

Goku smiled eagerly, before stumbling inside to rummage for food.

After a good twenty minutes ransacking the fridge, and another hour and a half of sleep, Goku felt he was ready. Decked out in fresh clothing, he stepped out doors, taking one last breath of fresh air before approaching King Kai.

"Okay then, let's begin."

...

...

Back on Earth, Tien was walking through a forest. Kami had allowed him and the others to take a couple days off, to relax, or at least pursue other methods of training. Which was why he was here. This was the same place he first met Son Goku in, and where some of his first training sessions with Master Shen and Tao had taken place. Long ago he looked up to both of them, but since the 23rd tournament, he had found out just how despicable they were.

Suddenly he felt a presence behind him. One that he hadn't felt in over half a decade. It was cold, ruthless, yet seemed tempered by another trait that he couldn't quite place.

"Come out Tao, I know it's you."

Crackling, and a rush of wind. "Tien. Its been a while hasn't it?"

The triclops frowned, tightening and loosening his fists. "I thought I told Master Shen after _our_ fight to never come near me again."

"Hmm, yes...my brother did mention something about that. But you know too well how little regard I have for rules and agreements." the mercenary remarked.

"Hmph. You mean your complete disregard for honor?"-"Speaking of that, for your sake I hope you didn't look me up just for revenge. The gulf that was once between us is now an ocean, and you do realize that this is not a sanctioned battle. No rules, meaning that if you attack me, I will kill you."

Tao maintained his composure, with nothing more than a slight trickle of sweat passing down the side of his head. "I'm well aware of the advantage you have over me. Since we last met, I've upgraded my optic scanners, enough to gauge your current energy output. Even at such a highly suppressed point, you are still exactly 3.14 times stronger than my maximum. So rest assured Tienshinhan, I'm not here for a fight."

"Then what are you here for...I don't have all night to waste listening as you talk in circles."

"Why, nothing more than to wish an old student the best of luck in the coming battle."

Tien's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Don't look so surprised. I still have contact with former members of the Red Ribbon Army. All that needs said is that they have their ways of obtaining useful information. Nearly anything can be bought for the right price."

"Before I go, I have a few more things to say. First off, I no longer bare any ill will towards you. You were right, I had no honor. Much as I loathe to admit it, that defeat humbled me, which allowed me to see a much bigger picture. Shen thinks that it makes me weak, and perhaps he is correct. I however am beginning to suspect otherwise. Not that it truly matters. I still do contracts, and I still make hits. Yet, I've noticed my preferences have changed, and I've found that those that I would have eagerly worked with in the past, have had a tendency to become my prey."

Tien nodded, keeping his expression stoic. Inside, the words of his former teacher were...surprising.

"I suppose it means nothing in the end. After all, I'm still everyone's friendly neighborhood killer." he said with a thin smile. With that he turned on his heel and began walking off into the shadows.

"Tao." Tien said, unsure of why he was even doing so. "Take care."

The mercenary nodded, before leaping into the branches of a large pine.

...

Drops of purple blood were pooling from a gouge in his left arm, as Piccolo slouched over, struggling for each breath. Both Gohan and Krillin were down for the count, and he himself almost ready to join them. It was unreal. Kami had informed him that he had a test for not only himself and Gohan, but for Krillin as well. Piccolo knew well enough what the Pendulum Room was. That part needed little explanation. But where it sent them, and who they were fighting, that he would love to know. It seemed temperate enough with a neon green sky, and a blue star. Foliage was present, though it was colored very differently than on Earth, in addition to being somewhat sparse. The gravity felt a bit lighter, but that was hardly the point. It was who they had ran across within minutes of being sent there.

He was incredibly powerful, enough to make Raditz look like a joke by comparison. Throughout the fight, if it could be called that, not even a dozen hits had struck his form. The most he suffered was a split lip, and a skinned up shoulder, where the armor he had be wearing was damaged in a lucky blast.

The Special Beam Cannon, even that failed. With a burst of his aura, Piccolo's mightiest attack was deflected as if it were child's play. In fact, that was the crux of that matter. It was child's play, because the opponent they were facing was a child. Spiky black hair, dark brown eyes. The boy was perhaps, only a few years older than Gohan. But the way he fought, the way he carried himself, were that of a warrior many times his age. From what observations he was able to make, he could tell that the kid had been through his fair share of battles. The skill he displayed rivaled that of his own, and that of Son Goku.

Even more mind boggling, was that this boy had a tail, as did Goku and Gohan. Piccolo knew that saying it outloud would make no difference. The child before him, the child that had beaten him and the other two to bloody pulps, was without a doubt a Saiyan.

As Piccolo pressed a hand to his other arm, the fighter before him flashed a toothy grin. "Well then slug, fighting you has been amusing. But I have a mission to complete, and killing you isn't part of it. So why not take your friends and get the hell off this rock before the rest of Frieza's men spot you. I doubt they will be as kind as I am."

_Kind?_ Piccolo thought. That was definitely subjective. Yet he was being given the chance to flee, without question? And then there was that name again...Frieza. Something about it seemed familiar. "So...just like that, you'll let us go?"

The young Saiyan shrugged. "Why not? You're obviously not natives of this planet, that kid with you even looks to be part Saiyan...So I see no reason to kill you. Unless of course, you would prefer that outcome...if so, I can and will oblige you in whatever way you see fit."

"Feh. So be it. Don't think that just because my back is turned that my guard is down."

The boy laughed at the vague threat, "Fool. As if I needed you off guard to finish the job. I'm the Prince of all Saiyans...I've fought with elites far stronger than you, and came out on top."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow, before scooping up Gohan and Krillin. He was unsure how to get out of this vision, when suddenly a series of explosions went off, each closer than the last.

The princes expression broke into a snarl, and phased right next to Piccolo. "Move now, or else it'll be me blasting the shit out of you and not them!"

Piccolo didn't even need to look to where the Saiyan was pointing, he could feel the ki signatures, several of them, each one dwarfing the power of the kid he just fought.

The farthest he made it was a thousand feet, before a searing white light enveloped him. Piccolo roared in pain, till the very flesh was ripped from his bones, and those super heated and turned to ash.

...

Piccolo collapsed in a cold sweat, right next to Gohan and Krillin. They appeared to have awoken the same time his mind returned to his body, and they were each visibly shaking.

In a rage, Piccolo hauled himself to his feet, before rushing over and grabbing Kami by the front of his robes.

"What the hell was that Kami? Where the fuck did you send us!?" Piccolo bellowed, as several veins bulged on his forehead.

Kami broke into a sweat, obviously not expecting such an extreme reaction. "Please Piccolo...calm yourself, no good can come from harming me. I urge you, reign in your temper."

Piccolo grunted, shoving Kami back several feet. "Hurry it up then...I think you owe us all an explanation, you senile old bastard."

Kami gulped, trying to regain his composure. "Ye-yes. Of course. I can't tell you precisely what world you visited, as that information was withheld from me...but I can tell you who you fought. This will be a lot to take in, but please do your best, all of you. What you saw, was set up by the North Kaio and myself. He provided the information, all the technical bits, and I did the rest. You see, it's actually simple..the person you fought was the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta. Back when he was a child. Now he is a grown man, bent on revenge for his dead comrade. Sound familiar yet?"

After a second of thinking, the truth hit Piccolo like a thousand ton wall of bricks. "No..."-"You, mean to tell me that one of the Saiyans that we were warned about, that he was that powerful as a mere boy...I...I can't even imagine what were going to be up against now."

"Wha-what are we going to do, we don't stand a chance against someone like that...there...there just isn't enough time." Krillin stammered out, frighted out of his wits.

Piccolo however, had rediscovered his resolve, and his nerve. "Don't tell me that you just plan on rolling over and dying then?"

When Krillin said nothing, Piccolo smirked. "Well, I for one don't. If I go, I'll do my damnedest to take one of them with me." but then the his thoughts drifted back to the Saiyan boy he had fought in the Room. The one who was now a man, bent on revenge. What puzzled him was the act of mercy, which was completely unexpected to Piccolo. "But, perhaps we should consider this. You two were both unconscious, but that kid did something that took me a little off guard. He actually gave me the chance to flee, to not die by his hand. He is older now, and we don't know how ruthless he may have become, and he wants vengeance against us..."

Krillin rubbed some sweat off his bald cranium. "So, are you saying we might not have to fight them?"

Piccolo nearly faceplanted. "No...not exactly. However, they might not be as cruel and evil as we thought. So we may be able to 'negotiate' with them, should we find ourselves at an advantage."-"Though judging from how strong that one was as a brat, I don't think we can do much other than stall for time, and hope that whatever training Goku's been doing will be enough."

...

...

_Two weeks later, on the North Kaio's planet._

"Kaio...ken!" Goku shouted out, and red aura flashed to life around him. Engorged with ki, he dashed into the sky, launching into a massive combo of punches and kicks into the empty air. Then with a mighty roar, he fired off a massive red ball of energy, only to speed ahead of it. With only a nanosecond to spare, he threw up his arms and braced himself.

One ear shattering explosion later, he found himself hurtling back towards the planet. Mere feet before impact, he focused a small amount of ki into his feet, slowing himself down greatly. After skidding for a couple meters, he managed to stop himself completely. He felt a sudden stabbing pain throughout his entire body, due to the strain of the technique, but managed to tough his way through it.

"Getting the hang of it quite nicely I see."

Goku turned, and saw King Kai standing a few feet away. "Looks like you managed to keep control of it for nearly half a minute this time, a new record. And you haven't even collapsed in agony. I must say, I am impressed. It took King Yemma nearly half a year to get to where you you are. To this day, he still hasn't even managed to go beyond the second level. But you, you might be the first student to ever do so."

"You really think so?"

The catfish looking god chuckled. "Of course. I don't say things just because I'm in love with the sound of my own voice. Well, I'll leave you to your training for now." with that he walked off, back towards his side of the planet.

Truth be told, the technique wasn't as complicated as he thought it would be. Sure, it took a lot of effort, but it was getting easier each time. The way it worked was a bit complex, but Goku figured he understood it pretty well. From what King Kai explained, it essentially stretched the ki within one's body, making it thinner and more unstable, yet more potent at the same time. With practice, much like a muscle, a persons ki would 'learn' to stretch further and further each time, growing more resilient as it did so. It did require a lot of concentration, and the slightest lapse could cause the technique to falter suddenly. Even something as simple as a punch or blast could cause one to lose focus if they weren't careful.

Being that his body was dead, that made things much safer. The way it was, his body could handle far greater stress than if it were living, meaning that it could be pushed to greater extremes with less consequence. With his body dead, so said King Kai, his cells would regenerate at far greater speeds, greatly negating the abilities potential side effects. Not that it didn't hurt if things went wrong. It hurt like all the levels of hell combined but the risk was infinitely less. Which made it the perfect way to learn the technique.

After taking a good twenty minute break, with another hour for meditation, Goku felt as if he were ready to push it to the next level.

Ascending into the sky, he balled his fists and got into his fighting stance. He then focused on his ki, quickly finding its center.

"Kaioken...times..." , Already he could feel his muscles straining, but it was to late to back out. So instead he blocked the pain as best he could and focused even deeper."...two!"

A massive aura flared up around him. It crackled wildly, flickering between red and white. Then with an abrupt hissing noise it fizzled out, the force of it contracting causing Goku to gasp in pain. For a moment he hovered in the sky, panting for breath.

"Haha...I...I did it..." his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell a second later, landing with a resounding thud.

...

...

_Three months until the Saiyans arrive._

Piccolo stood, watching as his pupil sparred with the ex-bandit, Yamcha, upon Kami's Lookout. They had gone there a great many times since that encounter with Vegeta in the Pendulum Room. Ever since then, they had redoubled their training regiment, pushing themselves even harder than before. So far he figured they were making good progress. Gohan was already stronger than his opponent, but Yamcha's superior skill made it an even fight. Still, Piccolo could see that kid was something else. Even when he was fully powered up, Gohan could still give him a good challenge.

He himself even felt a lot stronger, though he knew his power still didn't measure up to his opponent from that damn room. All things considered, he suspected that he could give the Saiyan a good run for his money. Of course, the adult version, probably not. And as much as he wanted to kick himself for such thoughts, he prayed that Vegeta was the stronger of the two. Cause if not, then they were up a creek without a paddle.

At least he could feel relieved, though it was for something completely different. When he first blew up the moon, he thought the effects it would have on the tides would kill millions. But apparently being guardian came with some perks, one of them being the ability to manipulate the tides. Not enough to prevent any damage, but plenty to mitigate it.

From what Kami said, the total casualties from it were only a few thousand. Not that it made his conscience feel any better, but it was a lot less than what he had dreaded.

Now that they only had three months or so, the days seemed to pass by even faster than before. Piccolo couldn't decide if he liked that or not. On one hand, it brought their day of reckoning ever closer, but at least it would be over faster, assuming they won.

For everyone's sake, he hoped that Goku could pull a miracle. Because more than likely, they would need it.

...

...

Goku smirked, before charging his ki, "Kaioken times two!"

As he said those words, he felt the rush of power. His muscles were starting to hurt, but he could handle it for at least a few more seconds. More on reflex, he leaped out of the way of a ball of energy, tossed by King Kai. Before he activated the Kaioken, those bolts were moving so fast that he couldn't even track them. Now, with his power doubled, they seemed slow, almost sluggish. But the next volley wasn't, and he found himself having to put forth considerable effort to dodge them.

It didn't help matters that he was strapped with the equivalent of six thousand pounds of weight. Even with his power amplified, the weight still bore down heavily on him.

Feeling the tell-tale stabbing sensation, he knew that his body was nearing its limit. With a grunt, he dropped off down to the base level of Kaioken, just as another blast ripped past him. That one he barely avoided, but he knew he wouldn't be fast enough for the next one. So with that, he began chanting the name of his favorite attack.

"Ka...meah...ha...meah...HAAAA!" the beam shot forth, completely swallowing up the blast King Kai fired, before heading straight for the portly deity, The Kaio's eyes went wide, before he managed to catch the blast. And to Goku's surprise, he finally managed to fling it off onto the sky. Which he shouldn't have been able to do, not at the level he was at, not unless...realization struck Goku as he fell out of his power enhanced state.

"I see you caught that as well." the god said with a snicker, "I probably should have told you, but on the job training is always better. Normally when you use an attack like the Kamehameha, it ends up being stronger than your base power, because of the way you amplify your ki, right?"

Goku nodded.

"Not so when you use one in conjunction with the Kaioken. Sure, it probably still will get a slight boost, but nothing like before. See, both the Kaioken and charged attacks amplify you base ki, but they work differently. And because the Kaioken is so much more potent, it overrides the normal increase. It's a defense mechanism of the body, to keep you from overloading with ki and destroying yourself. The higher you go, the smaller the increase from using a charged attack. With training you could probably negate that, but not entirely."

Goku scratched his head. After a moment, it sank in, and he smirked in understanding.

...

...

_One month till Vegeta and Nappa's arrival on Earth._

Goku wiped some sweat from his brow, and yawned. It had taken a while, but he had gotten to where he could handle the KaiokenX2 quite well. Now, he could use it for nearly a full minute before fatigue struck him, and if he kept it to ten second bursts, he could use it at least a dozen times.

The base level of Kaioken, though he had yet to master it, could be maintained for over three minutes before any ill effects kicked it. Conversely, he could use it in fifteen second intervals just over a dozen times before it got to him. The third level, that one still eluded him. Going from the first to the second level was a grand undertaking, but it paled next to the transition between second and third. He had first attempted it a month back, and after only a split second, his ki went off in a massive explosion. It had taken nearly twelve hours for him to even wake up, with King Kai scolding him, telling him that he should have been thankful that he was already dead; otherwise a failure of that magnitude would have surely turned him to ash.

A whole two weeks went by before he felt confident enough to attempt it again. The second try went much better, but wasn't pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. For about three seconds he managed to hold onto it, before the pain caused him to black out on the spot. Since then, he had tried over a dozen times, finally getting to where he could use it in five second increments, though after a couple of those the pain became unbearable.

What he had noticed, was that ever since he began focusing more on endurance and learning the Kaioken, the rate by which his power had been growing had decreased significantly. Yes he was making massive gains, but they were not the same. And since he was dead, he could no longer rely on the power of the Zenkai, the power boost a Saiyan would get from a near death experience. That was another thing King Kai had explained to him, and it made sense to him. How else could he have made such gains throughout his life? It definitely explained why his power always seemed to grow greatly after close encounters with death.

Yet he felt it all to be worth it. The ability to magnify his strength by several fold was more useful, at least in the short term, than simply increasing his raw power alone. Had he declined learning the Kaioken, he doubted his power would even be equal to what it was now using the moves base increase.

King Kai had also been teaching him another move. One that was only to be used in only the most desperate of occasions. It was called the Spirit Bomb. The user first gave a tiny portion of their own ki, to use as a seed, upon which the rest was added. The move drew upon the power of the surrounding environment, grass, water, even the sun could be called upon to lend valuable energy. It could also borrow power form living beings, but could only do so if they consented to it, and only a small fraction of their overall power.

It was proving at least as difficult as the Kaioken to master, and required even more concentration. It left the user completely vulnerable to attack, and if it missed, and allowed to spiral out of control, could potentially destroy the entire planet.

And that, was why Goku was hoping to, if not master, at be capable of using the third level effectively in battle. All he had left was a month, and he only hoped it would be enough.

...

...

_1 week remaining..._

Time was running out. For the past year everyone had been pushing themselves to the absolute limit and beyond, and they had all frown greatly in strength. With the exception of Yajorobe, everyone had greatly surpassed Raditz in power. The overweight samurai, who had actually slimmed down greatly, was still a bit weaker than the long haired Saiyan that had been such a threat before. Against the advice of nearly everyone, he insisted on taking part in the battle. Even if he was destined to die, he wanted it to be defending his planet, not cowering away in some hidden corner of the world.

Now the time for training was over. With such a short time made, it would do more harm than good to push their bodies any more. Whatever power gains they might make would be offset by the lack of rest. And so it was determined that was how they would spend the remaining days. If they weren't strong enough, nothing could be done about it now. For better or worse they had done all they could. The only thing left was to enjoy what time they had remaining.

...

Master Roshi shook his head, the look on his face very stern. "Absolutely not. I can't, in good conscience, allow you to fight them."

Chi Chi huffed angrily, " And why the hell not? You said it yourself even, we are much stronger than before. Stronger than even you thought possible...so why shouldn't we help them?"

"Because we would surely die. And while I would gladly make the sacrifice, I do not wish that fate upon you. Were you to meet your end against the Saiyans, how could I ever expect to look Son Goku or your son in the face again, knowing that I did nothing to prevent it?"

She was about to speak, until he took his sunglasses off, revealing his bloodshot eyes. That was something she hadn't expected him to do, something she hadn't seen since he last fought in the tournament, and then it had merely been part of a disguise. Now it represented something more, something greater.

"Chi Chi..." he said gravely, "I sensed the power Goku's brother had when he first arrived on my island. And I can tell you right now, even if we fought him together, we would still lose. From what I've been told, that is not even the extent of his power, that he could go even further. I also know, for a fact, that the two that are about to arrive are several times stronger than him. Should we go and fight, I'm afraid we would do nothing more than get in the way. In fact, we would probably put them even greater danger, as they would no doubt be more focused on trying to protect us than defend themselves."

Her resolve wavered, "I think I get it...but why all this training then, what was the point of it all if we are too damn weak to contribute anything to the fight?"

"In case they fall in battle, we are the last line of defense. We might not be able to face those invaders in direct combat, but we will need all the strength we can if they decide to go after the Earth's populace. If we survived, and kept training, we might even be able to challenge them in power one day. Is what I'm telling you making any sense?"

She nodded, brushing a few strands of hair from her face.

...

The day was almost at hand. Goku wasn't sure if it would be enough, but he had high hopes. He had managed to learn how to pull off the Spirit Bomb, and could pull of the third level of Kaioken with a reasonable degree of competency. So long as he only used in in short bursts, he could activate it several times before he suffered any negative effects. Even then, he had managed to negate the fatigue greatly from where he started out.

And thinking it prudent, he even managed to use the fourth level for a few seconds. It was painful, but strangely enough, it was significantly easier than acclimating to the third level. It wouldn't be feasible to use for more than a couple bursts, and would function more as a last ditch trump card than anything else. If it failed, then all hope was lost.

All of a sudden King Kai came barreling out of his house, with such speed that it made the Kaio himself short of breath.

"Goku!" he said, panting, "I've made a horrible miscalculation. The Saiyans will arrive in exactly forty two hours, and it will take you almost two full days to make it back."

"What! Damn it all, we have to tell them to wish me back now!" the spiky haired Saiyan said in a full on panic.

"Already covered it Goku, they should have already summoned the dragon by now...only a few more seconds..."

On cue, the halo over Goku's head disappeared, and he clenched his fists in determination. "Yes, I'm alive!" he said triumphantly.

"And you haven't a moment to waste, so good luck and get moving!" King Kai barked out.

Goku flared his aura, and jetted off down Snake Way as fast as he could.

...

On the outskirts of North City, two large metal objects crashed into the ground, blasting craters several meters wide into a deserted stretch of highway. With a metallic clank, the doors hissed open, and out of each stepped two figures.

"So this is Earth?" mumbled Nappa. "Not a bad looking planet if I might so say...good thing for it that it never caught Frieza's eye."

"Hn." the prince grunted.

Right then, they noticed the crowds of people amassing around them. Some were utterly speechless, others were snapping pictures like crazy. A few even seemed daring, and were inching their way closer to the duo.

Nappa gathered some ki in his fingertip, and as about to to thrust his hand upward, but Vegeta quickly grabbed his arm.

"Don't you even think about it. For one, you doing that could destroy one of those, Dragonball things...we might not even be able to make our wish then...and two, this is not a purge or conquest, so we have no need to start obliterating cities...not yet." the prince said, to the shock of his larger comrade.

"If you say so Vegeta. Guess I almost got carried away for a second..." Nappa muttered.

Vegeta cracked his neck, while stifling a laugh, "By all means though, don't let me stop you from showing off, just try to keep the destruction down for now."

Nappa gritted his teeth, and flared out his ki. Not enough to disintegrate their surroundings, but plenty to send gale force winds tearing through the city. All the people on foot, and any unlucky enough to be caught close by in a vehicle were instantly blown backwards hundreds of feet. After a few seconds, upon making sure he had emptied out the entire vicinity, Nappa finally smirked.

Vegeta just let out an exasperated sigh, "If you're done with that, don't you think we should be tracking down those responsible for Raditz's death?"

"Of course,-" he pressed a button on the scouter, which immediately began beeping loudly, "...there, scouter just picked up several power levels over a thousand. The strongest two are near fifteen hundred, and if my guess is correct, one of them is probably the guy were looking for."

A crazed grin took shape, slowly consuming Vegeta's facial features. "Yes. Revenge is at hand Nappa, then immortality. With that, even Frieza will fall...eventually."

Not giving his companion another second to think, the prince eagerly blasted off, heading straight for Gohan and Piccolo.

* * *

><p>Power Levels:<p>

Goku (Full power, arrival on North Kaio's planet): 1,600

Master Roshi: 718

Chi Chi: 542

Goku (2 months of training with King Kai): 3,336

King Kai (Not full power): 5,000

Tien (6 months training): 2,509

Tien (Suppressed): 1,040

Mercenary Tao: 331

Piccolo: 3,078

Kid Vegeta: 4,620

Gohan: 2,329

Krillin: 2,511

Goku (2 months 2 weeks training): 3,589

Goku (Kaioken): 5,383.5 (KaiokenX2): 7,178

Piccolo (9 months training): 3,702

Yamcha: 2,790

Gohan: 2,912

Goku (5 months training): 5,410

Goku (KaiokenX2): 10,820

King Kai: 11,200

Goku (Kaioken): 8,115

Goku (Kaioken+Kamehameha): 8,926

Goku (1 month till Saiyans arrive): 8,568

Master Roshi (1 week left): 1,272

Chi Chi: 1,046

Everyone else: Well, guess you got to wait till the next chapter.


	10. An Exercise in Futility

**A/N:**

Sorry about the longer update time. Had some writers block, both with this and my other story. The next chapter should be out within the next month, with any luck of course. I would like to thank every for sticking around, and especially those who are reviewing. Even the anonymous ones. However, and this isn't review begging, but if you have any criticism, please feel free to voice it. Positive reviews are nice, but I know there is so much I can do to make this story better, and I need reviewers like you all to help me find my weakpoints. So by all means, feel free to rip this story a new one if that is what suits you. But at least try and tell me what I am doing wrong, and not just bash it.

And of course, this is not my property. Dragonball, Dragonball Z and GT all belong to Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. So make sure to support the official release.

* * *

><p>Piccolo was deep in a state of meditation, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming battle, when two enormous ki signatures pulled Piccolo from his trance. Both were approaching at an unbelievable rate.<p>

Piccolo turned, and saw Gohan's expression. It was one of determination mixed with apprehension and fear. "Looks like they're here...and every bit as strong as I feared...hopefully the others get here soon..."

"Others you say...are they every bit as pathetic as you two?"

The voice came from above, and both Piccolo and his student quickly turned their gaze to the sky. Piccolo quickly noted that the shorter one was the one he saw in that vision, and he could tell right away that he was without a doubt the stronger of the two. The other was huge, close to a foot higher than Piccolo, and bald. They each carried scornful looks on their faces, which seemed strangely unnerving to Piccolo and Gohan.

Piccolo was better at hiding his emotions, and gave the two a cocky smirk. "Hmph. So you're the two we've heard about. I'm not sure who the over grown gorilla is, but you-" he said, glaring right at Vegeta, "You're Vegeta aren't you?"-"Funny, I would have expected the prince to be a bit...taller than this by the time he had grown up."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, but otherwise kept calm. What he couldn't figure out was how this guy on some back water planet knew anything about him. "I see my reputation proceeds me then, but tell me green man...did you also happen to hear that I am one of the most powerful and ruthless beings in the entire universe?"

Piccolo felt a few drops of sweat beading on his brow, and he found himself regretting the notion of goading that Saiyan. The power he was putting out was overwhelming, and Piccolo still had the nagging feeling that he was holding back the vast majority of it. The thought occurred to him that they would need to do everything in their power to stall for time, till Goku arrived.

At that moment, both Nappa and Vegeta's scouters began beeping frantically. All around, all of Earth's main defenders touched down in front of them. Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Chaoutzu and Yajirobe.

Vegeta laughed quietly. "Looks like the entire gang of misfits is here then. At least you'll all get the honor of dying together." the smile vanished abruptly from Vegeta's face, as an icy look overtook his features. "I am willing to make a deal with you, if you fools can tell me how to use the Dragonballs, maybe...just maybe, I won't slaughter every last one of you and burn your precious world to a cinder."

"How stupid do you think we are?" Piccolo snarled, "Even if we gave you what you want, how do we know you would keep up your end of the bargain?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. Considering you killed Raditz, of course you have every right to worry. An eye for an eye, someone has to die after all." The prince ran his eyes over the entire crowd, "Perhaps all of you even..." he then took a second glance at Piccolo, and he realized something. His voice, sounded...familiar, "You, you're the one who finished off Raditz, aren't you?"-"Yes that makes this a bit tricky, because if the legends I've heard are correct, then we can't kill you and hope to use the Dragonballs, isn't that right, Namekian?"

Piccolo took a step back, mouth agape. "Wait, a-are you saying that I'm not from Earth?"

The prince sighed roughly, only for Nappa to interrupt him, "Of course you're not, was the green skin not enough of a give away?"

Piccolo's eyes widened, before a smirk crept over his face. "Well, I always did know I was different from anyone else...in fact, learning I'm not from Earth is a relief...because all this time I'd been thinking I was some sort of demon."

On the Lookout, Kami suddenly gasped in shock, startling Mr. Popo.

...

"Oh my, Kami...is everything all right."

The guardian wrung his fingers together, softly. Now, everything made sense. "Yes...yes mister Popo, I'm fine. All this time, I had the suspicion that I wasn't from Earth, and now with this revelation all those long repressed memories have flooded back to the surface. I'm a Namekian, and I came here from my home planet on that ship in the far northern reaches of the world...-"

...

Yes, everything made sense to Piccolo as well. Now he only hoped that he might live to see his home planet, one day. But first, they had to deal with the more pressing matter.

Vegeta, had grown bored. Yet he was curious, on exactly how strong the planets defenders really were. A year ago the strongest one had a power of just over fifteen hundred, almost the exact same reading he was giving off now. Yet that wasn't right, and Vegeta knew not to place too much trust in technology such as the scouters. Not always did they tell the whole story. And judging from the fact that their arrival seemed anticipated, the prince had an inkling that his and Nappa's opponents were much stronger than what they were letting on.

After a moment of thought, he settled upon the perfect idea. "Nappa, do me a favor and tell me what the scouter readouts are for those fools, I'm quite...curious."

Nappa, for his part knew that Vegeta could see the same thing on his scouter, yet he complied anyway, tapping the button a few time. Obviously there was more to this than Vegeta was letting on.

"Let's see here...1,557 for the Namekian, 1,400 for the half-breed brat...1,423 for the bald midget...1,390 for the one with the scar, 1,450 for the triclops, 1,290 for the clown, and 1,094 for the fat ass with the sword."

In the distance an angry shout was heard from Yajirobe, but Vegeta ignored it. "Very interesting. Yet they mean absolutely nothing. The warriors before us have proven that they can alter their powerlevels at will, so the scouters won't do us very much good. I have a better way of gauging their actual powers...how many of those seeds do you have left Nappa?"

"Hmm, let me see here-" he reached into a compartment in his armor, and rummaged through a bag inside it. "Twelve, ought to make for an interesting show."

Nappa squatted down to the ground, before taking his index finger and swiftly jabbing a dozen finger tip sized holes in the ground. Then, he placed a single seed in each on, before adding a dark green, viscous liquid.

Nothing happened for the first few seconds, until slowly but surely, twelve ugly little heads popped up through the earth. After that came the rest of them. They were green, with sickly, bulbous heads, and viscous claw like hooks for fingers. Screeching and chattering, they were a disgusting sight to behold. Each person had a slightly different reaction, though the disdain was plain to see on all of their faces.

Nappa smirked, "So, how do you like our Saibamen?"

Vegeta grinned, before letting loose a deep chuckle, "And do you know what the best part is?"-"Every last of of them is roughly equal to Raditz in power and speed. Not nearly as smart, but they should be an excellent source of amusement, and a way for me to see how strong you lot of weaklings really are."

Piccolo laughed at that, "As strong as he was you say...lets see what they can do then!"

Vegeta frowned. "Well you heard him," he said, pointing at the one closest to the group, "Show them what you can do."

"Keeeeaaahh!" it shrieked, before lunging at Gohan. The boy took a step back in fright, before getting into a fighting stance.

Right before it got within range, Piccolo's arm shot out, grabbing it by the throat. "Bad move, you freakish little cretin..." he quickly slammed a fist into its gut, wedging it halfway into the creatures body cavity. A second later, he focused a small amount of ki into that hand, disintegrating the filth in the blink of an eye.

"Woah, did you see that Vegeta, he took that out out like it was nothing..."muttered Nappa, clearly impressed.

"Of course he did, why else do you think I told you the scouter couldn't always be trusted."-"I don't know if you saw it, but in that once instant, his power nearly hit four thousand, and I suspect that he can push it higher still. This might be a lot more fun than I first thought." Vegeta looked at the rest of the plant like creatures, shooting them a glare so fierce that even they shrank back in terror, "Now you little insects, unless you want to face my wrath, go and make those clowns suffer!"

Secretly Vegeta wasn't to optimistic on their odds, given how easily the Namek dispatched the first one, but it didn't matter. The Saibamen were expendable, and it was no secret that Vegeta despised the imps. So what did he care if they ended up being destroyed.

Right away on rushed Piccolo, only for him to phase out of sight, reappearing right behind it. With nothing but a glare, he fired a mouth blast, reducing it to nothing but a cloud of ash.

Two more made for Yamcha, with the bandit parrying the first combo they threw at him. One got lucky and kicked him across the face, only for him to grab its leg with both arms. In a single fluid motion, he ripped it off clean at the socket. As it fell back crying shrilly in agony, he took its oozing limb and bashed the other across the head as it approached.

Then with a stern expression, he cupped his hands, preparing to finish the wounded on off.

"Kame...hame...haaaa!" he shouted, firing the brilliant blue blast at his opponent. At the last second it tried to flee, but was consumed by the blast. Once the air cleared, the only thing left of it were a few charred hunks of bone and tissue.

Not wanting to give the other a chance, he spun to avoid a blast from the creatures maw, and fired a Dodon Ray through its skull, shredding its brain and killing it instantly.

Tien punched his first opponent in the throat with enough force that it went clean through its windpipe and out the back of its neck. And without pause, he flung it's body to the ground and used a powerful kiai to rip the others body into tiny pieces.

Krillin and Piccolo both had similar ease, each dispatching their remaining opponents in under thirty seconds.

Gohan, while a bit fearful of the Saibaman's appearance, quickly regained his confidence when he realized just how much stronger he was. He spent a few seconds sidestepping it's clumsy swipes, before rushing in and taking hold of each of its arms. Using technique that he had developed while training with  
>Piccolo, he focused his ki into his hands.<p>

Right away the monsters arms burst into flames, blue tendrils that quickly spread to every corner of its body. Within a few moments all that remained was a thick cloud of soot and ash.

Truthfully, Gohan had spent a lot of work refining that move, so that it wouldn't burn him as well. It was intended to be used to escape from a stronger opponent, but when used on something significantly weaker, it was surprisingly lethal.

Chaoutzu managed to dodge the first strike, but was slammed hard in the gut by a follow up kick. With a grunt of pain, he focused his energy into its form, completely immobilizing his Saibaman opponent. With a swift kick, he sent it flying into the air. As soon as he took off he released his hold, but by the time it was able to move, the diminutive fighter was already poised to strike. With a psyionic infused beam of energy, he blasted it down to the ground. For good measure, he fired another blast into the crater, blasting a hole nearly fifty feet into diameter into the barren ground.

All eyes then turned to Yajirobe, who seemed to be having the most difficulty. His opponent had him on the defensive, as he ducked and dodged under its slashes. One finally struck a glancing blow, slicing his cheek from just below the ear, nearly to his jaw line.

"Okay ugly, play times over!" the samurai shouted, before spinning around and kicking the imp in the back. In a moment it caught its balance, but this time found itself on the ropes, struggling to fend off the obese fighters assault. Yajirobe could pick up that his opponent was stronger than him, but it didn't matter. It fought with no skill, and up until it got that lucky attack in, he had been taking it easy, to try and see how tough it was. But it had pissed him off when it did that, along with sending him a sobering message. This was a fight for the planet, and every second he wasted on this inferior freak was time and energy that could have been put to better use against the two Saiyans. With that though firmly in mind, he grabbed it by the throat, before jerking violently forward, headbutting it over and over again. After the seventh blow, he shoved it back and jumped into the sky.

He wan't nearly as proficient as the others at flight, but he was skilled enough to get by. Once he reached about sixty feet, he slowed himself to a halt, and drew his sword. When he saw that the Saibaman stumbling incoherently to his feet, he grimaced and took aim. In one quick motion he hurled his sword like a spear, straight at his enemy. It struck true, lodging in between its chest and throat. For a second it gurgled out a pained cry, but by then the samurai had rushed in, and grabbed the sword by the hilt. In one neat move, he yanked it upwards, slicing its head and throat in half. A few more strokes later, and all that was left were some dismembered, oozing body parts.

Yajirobe let out a groan of disgust, before leaping away from the mess. To him, it wasn't even worth the expenditure of energy to destroy the remains.

The portly fighters showing had the effect of surprising Vegeta.

_"Hmm...that Saibaman had a power of 2,245...and that fat ass was at 2,036. Yet he took it out like nothing, might have to keep an eye on him and that blasted sword."_

Not that Vegeta expected the samurai to lose, but he didn't expect to see the display of skill that happened. The prince's reaction wasn't lost on Nappa, who also seemed genuinely impressed with what Yajoribe did despite his lower power level.

"Well Nappa, looks like you might actually have a decent challenge on your hands with this bunch." Vegeta said with a wry smile on his face.

The burly Saiyan grinned like a maniac, obviously very stoked for the coming battle, "Hehe, I guess so." he paused, considering his next statement, "Say, you're not going to fight as well are you?"

Vegeta's smile grew deeper. "Of course not, why would I?" then the smirk vanished, as a scowl crept over his features, "They wouldn't last ten seconds against me, and you know it. I don't think they will even survive all that long against you at full power, so me joining in would literally be overkill. And that would deny you the fight I know you've been craving. If...and only if, by some miracle they manage to get past you, then they will have to contend with me."

Of all the warriors, only one had the keen hearing necessary to pick up on the conversation the two Saiyans were having. And from the nature of it, his suspicions had been confirmed. That ogre of a man, was the weaker of the two. By his tone and posture, Picccolo knew that Vegeta was significantly stronger.

Which was why the Namekian didn't look at all surprised to see the bulky fighter confidently striding towards them. If anything, the fact that he was fighting first might be a blessing. Against him, they might even be able to survive long enough for Goku to make it back. Not that Piccolo was willing to wager anything major in a bet. Even at rest his ki was very formidable.

Nappa laughed heartily. "Looks like you all get to fight me. Considering how handily you disposed of the Saibamen, I expect a decent warm up from this, so don't disappoint me..."

Krillin gulped, before turning to Piccolo. "Him...we have to fight that ogre?" he whispered.

"Would you rather fight the other one?" Piccolo whispered back harshly. Then, a bit louder, enough for the other humans to hear, he said, "I heard every word they said, and going by how they acted to each other, it was easy to figure which one is stronger and in charge. And it isn't this guy...so we should count our blessings with that."

Krillin, along with the others nodded hesitantly.

Nappa frowned, growing annoyed by the muttering. "So, are we going to fight or just stand around passing secrets all day?" When he saw them all turn and get into a fighting stance, a devilish grin appeared on his lips. "That's more like it, face your fate with honor."

Yamcha cracked his knuckles, before flashing a smirk of his own. "Guess I'll take the first crack at it then...let's see how tough you really are."

The Scarface bandit began powering up, followed quickly by all the others. Within seconds they had all reached their maximums.

Nappa looked at the numbers on his scouter and whistled softly. _Impressive...the one with the hair has a power of 3,046...and everyone else minus the clown and the fat one are well over 3,000...And the Namekian...4,236...not bad._

No sooner than he looked back at his opponents did he see that Yamcha had phased out of sight. Nappa saw a flicker of movement, but wasn't quite able to dodge the fist aimed at his cheek. The giant rolled with the punch, and managed to fling Yamcha over his shoulder, where he landed on his feet a few dozen feet away.

With a smirk, he placed the scouter back into a compartment, and wiped the blood from his lip. "Ha, nice shot...now let me show you how it's done!"

Nappa darted towards Yamcha, phasing in and out of sight around him in a zig-zag pattern. With his speed, the fighter could barely follow his movements, which wasn't even factoring in how dizzy he was getting from attempting to do so in the first place.

Yamcha quickly grew tired of the game, and aimed a kick at where he thought the burly man was going to be. The guess proved correct, but what he didn't expect was for Nappa to grab him roughly by the ankle. Before a blow could be delivered, Yamcha's foot was abruptly released, with the Saiyan being sent careening into a nearby hill.

When he looked up, he saw Piccolo, with an irritated scowl on his face. "Idiot...what were you thinking attacking him by yourself?" Piccolo snarled out. "It doesn't matter, make sure it doesn't happen again...I can't afford to bail you fools out of every mess you get into."

Yamcha thought about firing of a snappy retort, but stopped when Nappa landed right in front of them. The smile had yet to fade from his face, though their was a tiny crack in the back of his armor where Piccolo's boot had struck it.

Not wasting a second, the massive Saiyan charged Piccolo, who met his fist with one of his own. The Namekian grimaced, then kicked Nappa in the chest, knocking him back a few feet. After that, he rushed giant, with the two engaging in a brief high speed melee.

Tien observed the fight, with great apprehension. While it was a challenge, he was able to keep up with most of the fight, and by the looks of things, Piccolo held a small advantage. But appearances could be deceiving, and while Piccolo was focused intently, face drawn into a snarl, the Saiyan seemed almost at ease, relaxed even.

With a final thundering blow the two separated. Nappa crashed face first into the ground, while Piccolo landed shakily on one knee, slightly out of breath.

In a matter of seconds the larger fighter picked himself up, with an amused expression on his face. "I gotta say, that was one hell of a warm up." Everyone cringed at that, but Nappa kept on talking, "But I think the preliminary round is over, time to get a bit more serious."

He clenched his fists, as a white aura appeared around him. Heavy winds buffeted the gathering, with Piccolo being the only one having little difficulty standing. That, however, didn't mean he felt any better about the situation. The powerup only lasted a few moments, but the difference was significant. Nappa went from just below Piccolo in power to significantly above in almost an instant.

As soon as it was over he disappeared from sight, only to pop up less than a meter from Piccolo. As he swung a power house of a punch, the Namekian only had milliseconds to throw up his arms in defense. The blow reverberated throughout his body, rattling his teeth as he strained to keep up his defense. Before Nappa could aim a boot at his gut, Yamcha blindsided him with an elbow to the side of his head, staggering him for a moment. Laughing in amusement, he was caught off guard again by twin attacks from Krillin and Tien. The two had launched a dual pronged kick at his spine, with enough force to send him skidding across the rocky ground.

With a roar the Saiyan flung himself out of the ditch he created, and straight towards the group. He caught Tien in the gut with a knee, before balling his fist and throwing it at the side of Krillin's head. To his surprise, a dark blue glow enveloped it, and the punch was brought to a screeching halt.

"What the hell?" Nappa muttered, before concentrating some ki and flexing his arm. With a bit of effort, the hold along with the aura vanished, and he scanned the fighters to see who might have been responsible. When he saw that Chaoutzu was still holding both hands outwards, with the same blue energy arcing around his body, Nappa knew he found his culprit.

In an instant he sped toward him, till he was less than a meter from the dwarf. "That's a pretty nice trick there, for someone who isn't all that much stronger than Raditz, very impressive..." the smile he had deepened, and he clenched his fist again, "But its not good enough!" he roared, before swinging as hard as he could at Chaoutzu. The earth bound fighter focused as much power as he could, slowing down the punch greatly, but the force still sent him speeding towards the ground like a bullet.

With a psionic burst, he stopped himself a few feet above the ground, right next to the crater he blasted the Saibaman into. One eye was swollen shut, but he considered himself lucky, had that blow hit him full force, his head would have no doubt been knocked clean off.

Nappa looked down, and caught a sudden movement from the corner of his eye. It was coming from the crater, and he had a good idea what it was. Tien saw it too, and his eyes went wide.

"Chaoutzu get out of there!"

"Move it you albino idiot!"

Both Tien and Nappa shouted almost at once. Nappa didn't particularly care whether or not the fighter lived, but he didn't want to see his opponent lose to a cheap shot.

It was too little too late, because at that moment the Saibaman that Chaoutzu thought he killed came bursting from underground. Large chunks of skin were melted and warped, but it was very much alive. And with a wild high pitched cry, it's head opened up in the middle, as a jet of concentrated acid shot forth.

Chaoutzu tried to avoid it, but was utterly drenched in the stuff. Right away he began smoking, as his own energy pulsated around him. To know avail, after several seconds of screaming in utter agony, he fell silent, and abruptly crashed to the ground in a mangled heap. Tien instantly appeared at his side, and nearly wretched at the sight. All that remained was a blackened, partially dissolved skeleton, with what looked to be an expression of horror etched into what was left of its facial features.

Before he could even turn to face the killer, a shout from Vegeta rang out across the battlefield.

"Insolent little wretch!" a second later, the prince thrust two glowing fingers forward, and the Saibaman detonated in a massive fireball.

Nappa stood speechless for a moment. After a few more seconds, he found his voice, "You...you killed it Vegeta..."

Vegeta turned and glared harshly at his subordinate. "Of course I killed that vile piece of trash. That little fool lost it's own battle, yet still had the gall to interrupt your own...it would be an insult to our honor, all of us, if I had allowed that to go unabated."

Nappa was unable to respond, before a massive burst of power nearly knocked him off his feet. Spinning around, he saw the source, Tien.

"You," the triclops said, with a voice that seemed a little too calm for the occasion. The calm facade vanished in a heartbeat, as veins bulged all over the fighters body. "You bastards!" he seethed. "Because of you, Chaoutzu is dead...even if it was your little garden experiment that did it, the blame is on you."-"Whats more, he's already been brought back once, the Dragoballs can't do it again. Mark my words. .Pay."

Nappa got into a fighting stance, just as Tien got within range. With a precise movement, he easily blocked the first kick aimed at his face. What he didn't expect was to see two glowing fingers inches from his face.

"Dodon Ray!" the blast shot out, smashing Nappa right between his eyes, forcing him to stumble backwards a few feet. Another blow struck him in the gut, and despite the discomfort, he found himself even more enthralled with the fight. Thinking on his feet, the Saiyan grabbed Tien's arms and held him in place roughly.

"I see you're a lot tougher than your power level indicated...wait...it was his death that gave you this drive wasn't it?" Nappa shook his head sadly."A shame that it took losing a comrade to bring out that kind of power in you...I understand how that feels."

Tien roared in anger, kicking the burly fighter back a few feet. "Don't you dare pretend, not even for a minute that you understand what I'm going through...mindless murdering monster, what the hell would you know about that!"

That struck a cord in Nappa. He thought back to Raditz, of all the things the trio of Saiyans had suffered through together. Yes he and Vegeta had taunted him over being so much weaker, but it was mostly in jest. Yes he was the weakest of the three, but he was still a valuable member of the group, a trust worthy comrade. One that had saved not only his, but Prince Vegeta's lives on more than one occasion.

This time, it was Nappa's turn to feel rage. He flared his aura, blasting the triclops back several feet, and kicking up a massive cloud of pressurized dirt. "How dare you, pathetic, insignificant little human...you think you're the only one who lost a valued comrade...well you're wrong!" he bellowed, before calming himself. If only slightly. "Make no mistake, we want a wish...but if you think we would sit by and allow Raditz's death to go unpunished, you're dead fucking wrong!"

Nappa vanished from sight, before reappearing next to Tien with a fist full of ki. He swung, and it was all the former assassin could do not to cry out in agony. He blocked the strike, but his entire left hand was ruined. It was charred almost all over, and was still crackling painfully with leftover energy. The Saiyan wasn't finished, hammering the wounded appendage with another blow, this once severing it at the wrist.

Tien fell to his knee, gripping his arm just above the wrist with his remaining hand. There had been one saving grave with that, and that was because of the nature of the injury, the wound was almost completely cauterized, with only a few tiny red droplets seeping out and falling to the ground.

"You bastard, I'll kill you!" Tien screamed, launching into a series of punches and kicks, most of which Nappa was blocking and dodging with ease. One finally slipped through, with the warrior finally scoring a chop to Nappa's temple. The giant shrugged the blow off, before kneeing Tien in the gut. Without pause, he used his boot to flip him into the air, before backhanding him into a rock pile nearly a hundred feet away.

To Nappa's surprise, Tien came bursting from the debris pile, and was back in his face in seconds. The Saiyan smirked, blocking all of Tien's strikes with a single arm. The triclops scored a blow to the gut, and another to Nappa's left cheek, but was quickly put back on the defensive to avoid a kick to his chin.

Off in the distance, Krillin and Yamcha were growing anxious about Tien's predicament.

"This is bad, at the rate its going Tien won't last more than a couple minutes against that guy..." Krillin stated.

Yamcha clenched his fists, before shaking his head in agreement. "Yeah, we have to do something or else he'll end up getting himself killed."

The bandit charged up his aura, frustration reaching it's peak. "That's it!"-"I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one am not going to stand by and watch him be beaten to a pulp."

"Y-yeah...I'm with him!" Yajirobe chimed in.

"No you fools, in case you haven't noticed...he has been watching us as well...if we wait a bit longer he will drop his guard...we strike then, and only then." Piccolo said through clenched teeth.

A cry of pain caught their attention, as they saw Nappa nailing Tien in the gut with an elbow strike.

"Enough, I'm going in, to at least try and even the odds!" Yamcha shouted, before taking off across the ground. Krillin took one glance back before following the long haired warrior.

They got to just within a hundred meters before Nappa caught sight of them.

Growling in anger, he formed a ball of energy in his hands, before hurling it at the hapless humans. "Stay out of this!"

A colossal explosion, one that Krillin and Yamcha avoided by the skin of their teeth. When the smoke began clearing, mere inches from where they landed was the edge of a mile deep crater.

Nappa smirked, before feeling a shift in the air currents to his right. He spun around, only to see Yajirobe flying at him with the sword poised to strike.

Nearly balking, Nappa reached out hastily, grabbing the blade mid swing, wincing as he felt it cut into the flesh.

"Nice try, stupid fat bastard." with a grunt he kicked Yajirobe in the gut, before backhanding him into a mountain half a mile away. With a grimace, he looked at the inch long wound in the middle of his palm. Slowly, he opened and closed his fists, as thin stream of blood trickled down his wrist.

"He...almost got me with that, I can see how he took out a Saibaman so easily." Nappa then frowned, and looked down towards Tien.

"Hmph. Looks like it's the two of us again. Perfect." he phased out of sight, materializing next to Tien. The triclops was expecting something of that nature, and ducked right as one of Nappa's massive fists sailed over his head. The blow that came next moved faster than his eyes could track, with Tien hacking up a mouthful of blood as Nappa drove a knee into his solar plexus.

Chuckling, Nappa let him fall to the ground as he slowly ascended towards the sky. Slowly Tien managed to force himself to his feet, chest heaving up and down from exhaustion.

"Damn it all, it's not use against him. I gave it my all, and I barely even put a scratch on him. My power is fading fast...I guess this is it then..."

Nappa tilted his head in confusion. "Hey, are you going to stand there all day talking to yourself, or are we going to finish this?"

As if to confirm his intentions, Tien flared up his aura. "I'll finish it all right..." he said to no one in particular. His ki xpiked even higher, but it wasn't the amount of power that was the cause for concern among the allied band of fighters.

...

"No...the fool, he's using the Kikoho..." Piccolo muttered. "It uses life energy, and judging by how long he's been charging it, I think he intends to take that Saiyan down with him."

As the only person to understand the situation, Gohan gulped audibly. "Wait, you mean that he'll die from that attack...is there anything we can do to stop him?"

"No, I'm afraid not...if anyone gets close, they run the risk of getting caught in the crossfire...and, I don't even think I could survive a blast like that..."

...

Tien took one last glance at his allies, before steeling himself for what was to come. Drawing upon every last bit of willpower, he focused all of his energy into the palm of his hand. "Forgive me Chaoutzu...but this might be the only way..."

"All right you bastard, let's see how you handle this...Kikoho!" he thrust his hand forward, firing off a massive jet of bright yellow energy.

Nappa smirked, ready to take the blast head on. That was, until a shout from Vegeta made him think otherwise.

"Nappa you idiot, don't just sit there, that attack's power is over five thousand!"

Right before the beam connected, the Saiyan gave a mighty yell, while throwing his arms up in front of him. The explosion, while deceptively small, packed a tremendous punch; enough to blast all the fights sans Piccolo clean off their feet. Even the Namekian had to grit his teeth, fighting with all his might not to be blown away by the wind.

As the smoke cleared, to their horror, they saw that not only was Nappa alive, but almost completely uninjured, with only a few burns on his arms and legs to show for. The only real causality was his armor, with both shoulder pads and the right portion of the chest plate completely disintegrated. With a smirk, he allowed the small aura around him to disperse.

Tien winced in pain, clutching his chest. "No...I, I put everything I had into that...and it barely scratched him. I'm...sorry everyone," he took a shallow breath before collapsing onto his hands and knees. "...I failed you..." As he said those words, whatever remained of his strength left him, and he collapsed onto the ground. After a couple more ragged breaths, his fight was over.

Yamcha punched the ground below him, planting his fist over a foot into the rocky terrain. "Damn it all!"

Before he could try anything rash, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. When he turned around, still shaking with rage and grief, he saw Piccolo staring at him with an oddly somber look.

"Don't even think about doing that. Tien died nobly trying to avenge his friend and protect the planet, but going in and getting ourselves killed one by one is not the way to go. The same thing that happened to him would happen to any of us if we fight that Saiyan by ourselves, working as a team is the only chance we have to survive till Goku gets back. And believe me, surviving might be the best we can hope for with what we're up against, but..."

The Namekian balled up his other hand into a first, "...I still plan on giving it my all, so if we hope to accomplish anything, we need to come up with a plan and fast...if this one is anything like Goku's brother, grabbing his tail should paralyze him. But we have to be prepared in the event that it fails."-"I'll be the one to grab his tail, Krillin-"

"No." Krillin said, interrupting Piccolo mid sentence. Not so long ago he would have been terrified of doing so, but having spent the past year training off and on with the former demon, he knew that their was no longer any risk involved. Plus, this was a more personal matter.

Piccolo looked surprised, and a scowl threatened to form on his face, but he decided that perhaps he should hear the other out.

"I'll be the one to take that risk. Don't take this the wrong way Piccolo, but I've known Tien and Chaoutzu a lot longer than you. I didn't see them much after the last tournament, but they were still my friends. Plus you're a lot stronger than I am, so at least if it doesn't work, and something happens...it'll be to me, and you'll be able to keep fighting till Goku gets back...they both risked their lives to stop Daiomao and bring me back...so I owe them the same."

Hearing those words brought a smirk to Piccolo's face. The unintended reminder of his sire's crimes made his stomach churn, but he quickly forced those thoughts back. And he had to admit, the monk had a good point.

The Namekian gave a small chuckle, "Strange, I'm not sure whether to insult you for being so reckless, or commend you for your courage." he paused, spending the next few seconds rethinking his plan. It wasn't much of an alteration from what he had before, and he figured it would work just as well. "Since you seem so adamant, here's the plan. Yamcha, I need you to distract the big guy, but don't get close unless you have to."

The ex-bandit nodded. "I could use the Spirit Ball for that."

"Exactly." Piccolo turned to Gohan. "And while you two are occupied, Gohan and myself will rush him head on.", he noticed his student's apprehension and snorted, "Don't look at me like that. Next to me you're the strongest one here, and I know I've trained you well."

Gohan then did his best to try and hide the fear that was welling up inside of himself. "Okay mister Piccolo."

"And try not to worry so much runt, no matter what, I will protect you."

Krillin started to chuckle at the exchange, but stopped when he saw the look on everyone's face. This was no laughing matter, and he quickly got into a fighting stance. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder how that giant of a man was finding the patience to not attack them. Still, it was a good thing that he had, because otherwise they wouldn't have had the time to begin forming a plan.

Yamcha quickly rushed towards Nappa, who had touched down right after blocking Tien's suicide attack. As soon as he saw the Saiyan assuming his own stance, Yamcha quickly fired a burst of ki into the ground, launching himself several meters into the sky. He smirked when he saw the confused look on his opponents face.

A white glow surrounded his hand, before slowly moving out and above his now outstretched palm. "Let's see how you like this then, Spirit Ball!"

Yamcha launched the ball of ki straight at Nappa, who looked first at Yamcha and then the orb of ki. Thinking it as nothing more than a joke, he raised his hand, intending to swat the blast aside like an annoying insect. But right as he swung, Yamcha twisted his index and middle fingers upwards, sending his attack soaring into the sky.

"What the-" Nappa didn't get to finish his sentence, before the ball flew back downward, burying itself just inches from his feet. The massive Saiyan gave a hearty laugh. "Hahaha, that was a nice little trick, but you'll have to work on your aim if you want to hit anything with that."

The warrior with the scar managed a laugh of his own. "Is that what you think?"-"Well, since you're so confided, I guess you have no reason to look behind you then..."

"Yeah, like I'd fall for that trick." the Saiyan said as he rubbed his mustache.

Which was precisely what Yamcha wanted to hear. Thrusting his hand upward again, the Spirit Ball burst forth from the ground behind Nappa.

Nappa spun around, and Yamcha swore he heard the word "shit" muttered underneath the brutes breath. Moving his hand in a deliberate and precise manner, Yamcha directed the ball's movement, sending moving to and fro, in a wide around around his enemy.

Growing agitated, Nappa jumped back a few meters. Then, when he saw the blast heading his way, he concentrated a bit of energy in his mouth and fired it at Yamcha's attack. Right before the beam struck it, Yamcha unclenched his remaining fingers, causing the ball to break apart into over a dozen smaller fragments. Taking advantage of his foes bewilderment, he tightened his first, with all the pieces converging together milliseconds before slamming into Nappa's chest.

As the smoke cleared, a slightly burned and very agitated Saiyan emerged from the shroud. The former bandit tensed up, but soon found that to be unnecessary. Krillin had already managed to sneak in and grab a hold of Nappa's tail. But something didn't seem right; from what he was told, Raditz had dropped like a rock when Goku had done the same to him, yet this was only showing the faintest signs of discomfort.

Krillin noticed his too, when the Saiyan failed to do anything more than grunt in annoyance. When he saw Nappa turn his eyes to him, the monk released his tail abruptly.

"Impressive strategy you all had going...it would have worked on any other Saiyan too, but you overlooked one tiny thing." he leaned closer, till his face was less than a foot from Krillin. "And that is that me and Prince Vegeta both trained our tails, so that we would never have to worry about weaklings like you taking advantage of that little flaw in Saiyan biology."

The monk tried with all his might to fight back his fear, and think of a plan, but it was not use.

Nappa's smile deepened. "Look at you, shaking like a leaf. Don't feel too bad, that grip of yours was pretty tight. My tail will probably be a bit stiff for a few days thanks to that...but just think, if you were as strong as Vegeta, you might have been able to drop me with that tactic. But, if you were as strong as him," his features contorted into a snarl, "...then you wouldn't have needed such a pathetic strategy to take me down. Which is a shame, for you!"

He cranked his fist back, intent on smashing Krillin halfway across the continent, but the monk managed to react fast enough to think of a way out of his predicament.

"Solar Flare!"

The same thing he used against Raditz, now seemed just as effective against the Saiyans stronger comrade. Just as he was beginning to gather his ki into a disk shape in his palm, a flailing strike from Nappa caught him in the face. Unable to regain control of his body, he flew for nearly a thousand feet, before slamming roughly into a small rock formation.

Nappa was seething, though he was proud of the fact that he still managed to hit the little guy despite his impaired eye sight. As he tried to open his eyes, he saw two humanoid shapes appear in front of him. In the instant it took him to blink, they were out of sight.

"What the, where did those two go?" he questioned out loud, still trying to get the spots in his eyes to go away. To his left, he heard a gruff voice say "Over here.", and as he turned to look, he saw a flash of green, and was sent crashing across the ground. As he stood up, he saw Piccolo floating in the air nearly a hundred feet away, with his arm retracting towards his body.

"Looks like you all are full of surprises, I'm impressed. But it'll take a lot more than that for you to win!" With a snarl, he shot up into the sky, with his aura blasting a small crater into the ground as he took off.

Piccolo smirked at that, before taking off higher into the air as well. He saw that the Saiyan was quickly gaining on him, faster than expected. He spun around mid flight, still keeping up his forward momentum. Then, timing it just right, he threw a punch, with his arm extending several hundred feet back towards his pursuer.

Nappa twisted to the side to avoid it, and as Piccolo was retracting it, he reached out and grabbed the appendage. What he didn't count on was the leg also speeding his way. Nappa blinked in surprise, before being smashed in the jaw. While it did bloody his lip, it did nothing about his grip on Piccolo's arm.

Gritting his teeth, the Namek decided on a different strategy, and instead of drawing his arm back to him, he did the opposite. He sped forwards, arm returning to his body as he did so, till he was face to face with the Saiyan. With nothing more than a scowl, he opened his mouth and fired a blast into Nappa's face. The beam caused him to stagger, and to release his grip on Piccolo's arm. No sooner than he was free, did Piccolo find a fist firmly lodged in his gut. He gasped in agony, as a mixture of spittle and blood sprayed from his mouth.

"You definitely are a good fighter, Namek. But so am I, and you don't have the strength to match me. So why don't we end this, right now?" Nappa said, watching Piccolo carefully. He could see that his opponent was winded, but far from beaten. And as much as he desired revenge for the death of Raditz, Nappa knew that he couldn't kill him. At least, not yet. But he could take pleasure in beating him till he gave in, and divulged how those Dragonballs worked.

When Piccolo moved to attack, Nappa was ready, catching the others fist in the middle of his giant palm. He smirked at Piccolo's distress, before kicking him in the head. The blow knocked Piccolo backwards several hundred feet, and only by the skin of his teeth did he avoid a powerful uppercut from Nappa. As the Saiyan blazed past him, he felt a faint trickle of blood down the side of his cheek, right where it connected with his throat.

When Nappa spun around, he readied a ball of energy in his left hand, ready to toss it the first chance he got. That ended up being unnecessary, when Nappa was sent flying into the ground by a kick from Gohan.

The half-saiyan clenched his fists, glaring down towards Nappa. "That's for hurting mister Piccolo you big bully!"

Piccolo smirked, as he found himself rather pleased with his student. "Not bad kid, but you know it isn't not over. Not even close."

That caused the boy's confidence to falter significantly. "What? What do you mean?" he said, trying to keep any fear from showing in his voice.

"Exactly what I said. Extend your senses, and you'll feel that nothing has changed about his ki. If anything, you probably just pissed him off even more.", Piccolo said with a frown as he began putting more energy into the palm of his hand. "But that doesn't matter now. When he gets back up, he'll be in for one hell of a surprise."

The energy surged a brilliant shade of violet, as Piccolo struggled to keep it under control. If he lost focus now, all that energy and time spent gathering it would be for nothing. And as he expected, the ground split where Nappa had been sent crashing into; and out of the crack in the earth the Saiyan emerged. Veins were bulging over his entire body, and he looked absolutely livid. But it seemed controlled, and precisely directed.

As Nappa took to the sky, Piccolo extended his free hand and sent a small burst of ki a Gohan, sending him flying away; out of Nappa's immediate path. The moment of confusion was all he needed, as he finished gathering the last bit of ki needed.

"Exploding Devil Wave!" As he shouted out the words, the energy surged forward, taking on blue tints as it approached the Saiyan.

All that Nappa could do was throw up his hands, in an attempt to stop the beam dead in its tracks. No sooner than it made contact with his flesh did it explode brilliantly, a bright purple fireball several thousand feet across. All the humans, and Gohan had already taken to the sky, avoiding direct contact with the blast.

Panting, Piccolo squinted his eyes, as he tried to peer through the dust and soot filled shroud. The attack was futile, anyone could have told him that. But a part hoped desperately, that he at least inflicted some permanent damage with it. All the debris was pushed away by a gale force burst of air. Standing in the center, with a crackling aura charged up around him, was Nappa.

His arms, hands and chest were covered in burns, but the amount of energy Nappa was putting out was virtually the same. With another surge in his aura, his power increased yet again. Faster then Piccolo could react to, he moved from sight, only to pop up a few feet behind the Namek.

"That was pretty good. I'm actually impressed that you managed to force me to power up this much. The thing is..." he stopped mid sentence, in order to catch a fist intended for his face. "...now none of you stand a chance."

Piccolo ground his teeth, and threw another punch, that was caught just as easily as the first.

Nappa grinned at that. "I can't kill you, not yet...but that won't stop me from breaking you down, bit...by...bit." each word spoken was marked by an increase in pressure on his fists. Piccolo could feel his bones beginning to crack, and while he could simply regrow them if need be, the energy loss from doing so could not be afforded. Instead, he fired two small beams of electricity, out of his antennae and into Nappa's face.

The giant hissed in irritation, but released his hold. Piccolo spun, and aimed to drive his knee into Nappa's gut, but the blow was sidestepped. Unable to properly track the others movements, Piccolo wretched as a powerful blow struck him in the gut. Grasping his stomach in pain, he found himself seeing stars as a precisely timed elbow strike to the back of his skull sent him plummeting downward.

Nappa felt a tiny rush of air, and turned just in time to catch Yamcha speeding towards him.

"Bet you think you're pretty tough, let's see how you handle this! Wolf Fang Strike!" he launched into a seemingly erratic pattern of punches and kicks. Or that is how they seemed to Nappa, but in reality, they were anything but.

Most of the initial blows Nappa simply avoided, but after a few seconds he found himself simply blocking with his arms and legs. Then something strange happened, after Yamcha stopped and withdrew, Nappa found that he could barely move hims arms or legs. Even moving forward was a challenge.

"What? How? Why can't I move?!" howled Nappa. "I've been in mental holds before, and this is nothing like that!"

Yamcha grinned. "It's pretty simple actually. Something I learned during that past year, see, what I just did was target certain pressure points all along your arms and legs. Not only did I lock up all those muscles, but I also interrupted the flow of energy through your body. Don't worry, it'll wear off soon enough..."

The ex-bandit darted behind Nappa, and slammed a knee into the back of his skull. While the blow didn't cause any real pain, Nappa was unable to stop his forward momentum.

"Krillin, Gohan, now!"

From out of the blue, Krillin darted in, smashing Nappa across the face with a right hook, before kicking him off into a 'Masenko' from Gohan.

Barely catching himself, Nappa came to a stop several hundred feet away, each foot buried under several inches of rock and dirt. He could move his legs again and arms again, but his reflexes still didn't feel up to par.

Krillin decided that now was the time to use a new technique that he had came up with. He tried gathering energy for it before, but simply didn't have the time. Not this time.

With one arm over his head, he began forming energy into a swirling disk shape. Finally the ki coalesced, compressing itself till it resembled something like a giant frisbee. Only this frisbee was glowing bright yellow, and was sharp enough at the edge to slice through diamond like a hot knife through butter.

"This is for Tien and Chaoutzu...Kienzan!"

With all his might, Krillin chucked the spinning disk, sending it towards Nappa at supersonic speeds. The burly giant considered catching it, but something in the back of his mind told him otherwise. Spinning as fast as he could, he managed to avoid being decapitated by less than a millimeter. The mountain a few miles behind him wasn't so luck, being cleaved clean in half before collapsing in on itself.

Nappa roared in anger, his energy kicking up winds greater than any hurricane. All around, mini vortexes began forming. "That's it!"-"Forget the dragoballs, every last one of you is dead!"

He prepared to charge Krillin first, but was stopped by Vegeta.

"Nappa what the hell do you think your doing?" the prince shouted, clenching his own fists in frustration. "And don't give me that look, you know damn well that we can't kill the Namekian yet, and I'll be god damned if I let you ruin our one shot at taking down Frieza!"

By that time, Piccolo had recovered, and had managed to regroup with the others. When Vegeta vanished from sight, only to appear a few meters away, they each took a step back.

Vegeta smirked at their fear. "If any of you value your lives, listen up. Against my better judgement, I'm willing to make a deal with you. You've already lost two people, so if you tell us where the dragonballs are, and how they work, I'll consider us even regarding Raditz's death. Let us have our wish, and no further harm will come to you. Feel free to gather your dead, mourn over them, whatever the hell you pathetic weaklings do. Consider the options carefully. The only alternative is the complete and utter annihilation of every living thing on this world."

"Even if we were to trust you to keep your word, using the dragonballs is out of the question." Piccolo said.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "What do you mean?"

Piccolo smirked. "Once a wish is made using them they are inert for an entire year. And that wish was already made, when we brought Son Goku back to life."

The prince nearly let his aura loose, but managed to force himself to hold his temper at bay. "You wasted that, bringing this 'Goku', back to life? Do you have any idea what you've done?"-"I should kill you myself!"

Nappa scratched his head, when suddenly it clicked. "Wait a minute Vegeta, isn't that what Kakarot calls himself now?"

"So it would seem Nappa, so it would seem. But why did you idiots waste a wish like that? If I recall, he couldn't even stand up to Raditz by himself."

"That's where you're wrong!" Yamcha said confidently. "Goku has been getting training in the afterlife, enough to pound both of you into the ground. I'd be worried if I were you two." Mentally, he wasn't so sure, but he hoped that Goku wouldn't prove him wrong.

Vegeta snorted. "Otherworldly training, ridiculous." he spat. "Even still, if he is half as strong as you seem to think he will be, the prospect of him challenging us is... intriguing..."-"Of course, magical wish granting objects are quite absurd as well. However, perhaps he will prove a better opponent than any of you. I'm willing to give you three of your planets hours, but not a second longer. If he doesn't show by then, all bets are off."

Nappa glanced at Vegeta as though he had sprouted a second head. "What the hell am I supposed to do till then?" he said in a frustrated tone.

The prince furrowed his brow, "Fuck if I care. Just...go find some stuff to blow up or something. But try not to kill too many people, they make good bargaining chips. And those don't do us any good if they're all dead.

"...fine."

...

Vegeta clicked a button on his scouter. "Hmm, well his time's up." he looked, spotting Nappa as he came of the horizon. "And by the looks of things, so is yours."

As Nappa touched down, Vegeta gave him a sour look, "You sure took your time didn't you? Not that it before you go charging in, I need to make something clear..." , he pointed to Gohan, "...do not kill the half breed. First of all, he is part Saiyan, and is abnormally powerful for his age. To kill him would be a waste. Second, since we might end up having to kill Kakarot, this one will make a good replacement. Especially since we've lost Raditz."

"What about them?", asked Nappa, as he gestured to the humans and Piccolo.

"_Try _not to kill the Namekian. We might be able to extract something out of him...but the rest, do as you wish."

Nappa grinned wildly. "You all here that, now the real fun starts!"

Appearing as nothing more than a blur, he sped behind Yamcha and kicked him in the back. He spun and aimed for Krillin, but was struck in the head by Piccolo's boot. With his superior reflexes, he managed to grab Piccolo's ankle before the Namek could pull back. With his foot in a vice grip, Piccolo tried kicking at Nappa with his other leg, but found himself being spun around and around before the blow could connect. With a laugh, Nappa slung him off towards a hapless Gohan.

Bracing himself mid-flight, he stopped himself mere inches before he hit him. As he rushed back in, he saw Nappa about to fire a mouth blast. Doing his best to anticipate were the blast was going to be, he did a feint to the left. Right as the beam was about to hit, he ducked down, with the beam sailing less than a foot over his head.

Nappa appeared shocked by this, and made no move to avoid the blow to his gut. But after grunting in discomfort, his expression turned into one of amusement; much like a predator would once it's prey is cornered. "Gotcha!"

He grabbed Piccolo by the shoulders, and kicked him in the chest, cracking several ribs, and sending him crashing into the dirt.

Gohan's eyes got wide with concern, "Mister Piccolo..please...get up..."

Before Nappa could advance on he Namekians prone form, he was forced to parry a series of blows from Krillin and Yamcha. Each appeared to be moving in slow motion to him, as he managed to block each of their attacks with only his arms. After a few seconds he got tired of the game, and grabbed each by the tops of their heads.

With a single motion he slammed their skulls together, knocking both fighters out cold. With his grin still in place, he covered the distance between him and Piccolo in a single bound. And with a single thug, he slammed a foot down onto Piccolo's right arm, causing the bones to begin to crack.

"Vegeta thinks I shouldn't kill you, that you still might know something about the dragonballs or something. So if I were you, I'd start talking..." he said, voice menacingly low. "Because if you don't, I might not be responsible for what happens to you. Especially since you did kill Raditz."

Piccolo snickered, wincing as Nappa increased the pressure on his arm. "Hahaha, even if I knew more, do you really think I'd tell you? I've already seen what happens when someone evil gains immortality and-"

"You think we want it for that! You're a moron if you think so...it's the only way we would ever stand a chance against Frieza, don't you get it!" Nappa spat, quite literally. "Well then, if you're not talking, then I guess it is time to end it," his fist started glowing with energy, "...get ready to die you dirty sl-"

Nappa never got to finish his sentence, before a kick from Gohan sent him tearing across the ground, and into the remains of a rock formation. A few seconds later, Nappa blasted himself out, with rocks and other assorted debris raining down on everyone.

"Worthless little brat!" Nappa bellowed, as blood vessels bulged all around his body. "You're going to regret that!" The whole time he was talking he was building energy in his hand, as soon as the last word left his lips he released it straight at Gohan.

"NAPPA YOU IDIOT!" Vegeta screamed, growing red in the face, "I told you not to kill him!"

As the blast quickly sped towards Gohan, Piccolo instantly made up his mind on what needed to be done. The kid wasn't going to be able to avoid it, and he sure as hell wouldn't have time to grab him and dodge. As he raced to intercept it, he felt no regrets for what he was about to do. He promised Goku and Chi Chi that he would keep Gohan safe, and he promised the same to Gohan only a few hours ago. In the seconds before it hit, he appeared right in front of Gohan, arms outstretched to absorb as much of the blast as he could. He remembered Goku's sacrifice and smiled.

_Guess we all have to pay our dues sometime... _

Like a tsunami the energy cascaded around him, but he didn't give an inch. Using every last ounce of power in his body, he roared in pain as it threatened to rip the flesh from his bones. Just when he thought he could take it no longer, it suddenly dissipated.

With smoke still pouring from his many charred wounds, he forced his neck muscles to work, and turned just far enough to see that Gohan was uninjured.

"M-mister Piccolo...you're hurt..." Gohan said, quickly finding his footing despite his legs feeling like jello.

"Don't...don't sweat it kid, nothing but a flesh wound..."legs buckling underneath him, he collapsed roughly onto his back.

Gohan knelt down, wrapping his arms around the neck of the man who had been like a second father to him. "You're going to be fine mister Piccolo, I swear...my dad will be back and we'll...we'll get you all fixed up...just don't die..."

Piccolo laughed, noting that he could barely even feel the burning in his limbs. "You've grown so much, and made me so..," he coughed, and a few drops of blood slid down his cheek. "...and m-made me so proud of you...I...I'm sorry for pushing you so hard...but it was only because I wanted you to be ready for anything."

He reached out and grabbed Gohan's hand. "Just, stay strong Gohan...never stop...never stop believing in yourself. N-no matter what."-"You...you're like a son to me, never forget that..."

Piccolo smiled sadly, with tears running down his eyes. He took one last breath, before closing his eyes for the final time.

...

_A few moments before..._

Goku touched down at the entrance to the check in station, with his Kaioken aura fading as he did so. Kami was already there, arm outstretched.

"Goku, there is no time, grab my hand!"

In an instant, King Yemma and the rest of the afterlife vanished, and the young Saiyan found himself back at the lookout. Flashing a quick smile, he called for Nimbus and sped down to Korins tower, to pick a bag of senzu beans. On the way, he felt Piccolo's energy fading rapidly, and clenched his fists when he realized what it meant.

"Hang on everyone, just a few more minutes!" he said, before eating a single bean to gain back his energy.

...

"Mister Piccolo...no..." Gohan sobbed, throwing his arms around the body of his mentor.

Krillin and Yamcha were both shocked at what happened. Both had accepted that Piccolo had changed, and was no loner a threat to the world, but neither had expected to see the former demon sacrifice himself in such a manner. And over that year, both had grown to respect Piccolo. They also were beginning to see him as a friend, and not just an ally of convenience.

In the distance, Vegeta and Nappa observed. Nappa made a gesture, as if to ask whether or not to press on with the attack, only for Vegeta to shake his head. "No Nappa. Not yet."

All of a sudden, Gohan stood up, and jumped several feet into the sky. Energy was already swirling around him, and his eyes narrowed nearly to slits. "You, you bastard...he was my best friend...and you killed him!" He began focusing his energy into his hands. "Now it's your turn...Masenko...HA!"

"On your guard imbecile!" Vegeta barked. "The scouter is reading that thing at over six thousand!"

An aura formed around Nappa's left arm, and he charge towards Gohans attack. With one swift motion, he punched the beam as hard as he could, knocking it off course and well over the horizon.

The giant flexed his hand a few times, trying to get his muscles spasms to cease. "That was something else kid, I've never seen a kid your age put out that kind of power...not even Vegeta..."

Gohan clenched his fists, angry at himself for not having enough power to finish the job. "That was everything...and it didn't work..."-"Well, Piccolo wouldn't back down, and...and neither will I!"

His ki flared out all around him, and he blasted towards Nappa, ignoring Krillin and Yamcha entirely.

Vegeta watched, impressed with the boys tenacity. _Hmm, despite all the energy he put into trying to kill Nappa, his power hasn't dropped a bit from before. If anything, it's actually higher._

"You really are a true Saiyan, but I'm way out of your league." he ducked to avoid a kick, then easily caught Gohan's tiny fist in his hand. Using his other, he punched Gohan in the gut, making him double over in pain. Doing a quick flip, he spun through the air, driving a boot across the top of Gohan's head. The boy tore through the air, slamming headfirst into the ground.

Nappa was distracted by a sudden beeping noise, and looked towards Vegeta.

"Well Nappa, looks like we have company. Power level of around fifty five hundred as well. It has to be Kakarot." Vegeta said, with a smirk.

Nappa felt a rush of air, and caught an orange blur from the corner of his eye. It was him. Kakarot had arrived.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Piccolo (Full power): 4,236 (Exploding Devil Wave: 5,350)

Yamcha (Full power): 3,052 (Spirit Ball: 3,775)

Tien (FP): 3,458 (Weakened: 3,000), (Kikoho: 5,280)

Krillin (FP): 3,457

Chaoutzu: 2,719

Yajirobe: 2,036

Saibamen: 2,200-2,250

Nappa (Base): 4,000 (First power-up: 5,000), (Second power-up: 5,500), (Third power-up: 6,200)

Gohan: 3,820 (Enraged Masenko: 6,088), 3,940

Vegeta (Suppressed): 10,000

Goku: 5,500 (Full power: over 8,000)


	11. Return of the Saiyan

A/N: Yes, this chapter is shorter than usual. 2nd shortest If I'm thinking correct (Not counting authors notes.). But it's for a good reason. That way you all can get an update without a month passing. Hopefully, the one after will be done as well in the next three weeks. Not sure if this will be the average though.

At any rate, I'll move on to the reviews:

KGF: Yep, caught that error. I wanted to use a greater than symbol, but FF eats those for whatever reason. But yes, that was without Kaioken.

animekingmike: Thanks for that. As for Nappa, he was mostly referring to the loss of Raditz, though there are other factors. As to what Frieza did, and the knowledge Nappa/Vegeta have, that will have to wait. Bit of a spoiler.

SMG: Indeed. I'm trying to do things differently, while keeping the underlying events similar. For now. Later on, we will see more and more divergences from canon. I have plans that extend very far out.

coldblue: Glad you like it. And this is a minor spoiler, but by the Cell Games (If I call it that.) the humans (Sans a few) will be capable of mud-stomping Frieza. Or at least at his full power on Namek.

Can't make many promises for later stuff, but I will say that I don't plan on including SSj3. Or if I do, it will be at the finale of the last saga. SSj2 was only used for the end of a saga and the first part of the next before being superseded. I plan on it being far more prominent in my story.

guest: thanks.

Plasmic: Indeed. But as I said to another reviewer, it will diverge more from here on out. So keep reading, and you might actually be surprised.

And without further ado, the next chapter (Don't forget to RR that too):

* * *

><p>Even before he arrived Goku knew something wasn't right. Less than a minute before reaching the site of the battle, he felt Piccolo's ki flare up, before disappearing completely. The only ones he could sense were the two Saiyans, Gohan, Krillin and Yamcha. He had suspected the worst, and it was confirmed when he surveyed the scene.<p>

Looking at the bodies of his fallen friends was very painful. And it brought up another feeling, one he didn't feel often. Rage. But he knew that he couldn't allow himself to be consumed by it. The worst thing was he had no idea on how to bring any of them back. With Piccolo gone, Kami would be as well. Meaning that the dragonballs would have died with him.

Ignoring the baffled looks from Vegeta and Nappa, he instead walked towards his son and the others. Krillin and Yamcha looked pretty beaten up, but were otherwise okay. Gohan had it the worst, looking as if he might collapse at any given moment.

Still, he was glad that they were still alive. He focused, trying to get a better idea on how strong his opponents were. The big guy was strong, but it was the other one that had him worried. Even though he was at rest, the power he was putting out easily rivaled his own, Kaioken notwithstanding.

"Daddy!"

"Goku!" Krillin shouted happily. "It's great to have you back, everyone's missed you so much.", the cheery look faded as he remembered all those who had died, "...but I guess now's not really the time for a big reunion..."

"Yeah man, we still have him to deal with him," Yamcha said while pointing to Nappa. "None of us stood a chance against that guy, not even Piccolo or Gohan could do much to him...Tien gave everything, even his life...and it still wasn't enough."

Goku nodded his head solemnly in understanding. "What about Piccolo and Chaoutzu?" he said, managing to spot the dwarfs mangled remains.

"Chaoutzu...no not by him. Piccolo, he died-" Yamcha started to say, but Gohan cut him off.

"He died protecting me dad..." the boy said tearfully, prompting Goku to pull him into a brief embrace.

Goku pondered that for a moment. Having spent over a year training with Piccolo, Goku had to admit that he wasn't all that surprised that Piccolo would do something like that. Obviously he cared for Gohan, so it only seemed natural to the young Saiyan that he would do such a thing. How things had changed.

The time for talk was nearly over. They were still observing quietly, but Goku knew that eventually Vegeta and Nappa would tire of waiting. Before anything else, he knew he had one more thing to do regarding his son and friends.

Goku pulled out two senzu beans, and broke one in half. He gave the whole bean to Gohan, and one half each to Krillin and Yamcha. With their wounds taken care of, he began striding over to Nappa.

"Wait a minute Goku, are you sure you don't want our help with this?" Krillin asked.

Yamcha gulped. "Krillin has got a point, you really think you can take him on all by yourself?"

Goku stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry about me guys, I can handle him. You've all done more than enough, I'll take it from here."

Having said that he jumped forward, landing only a few meters from Nappa.

"So you're Kakarot? You really do look like your father..." Nappa shook his head, trying to avoid thinking about the past." Those little friends of yours were going on about how strong you've gotten, so how about it tough guy...show me what you're made of."

Goku frowned. "You want to see everything I've got?"-"Well if that's what it takes to make you answer for all you've put my friends through, so be it."

He clenched his fists, as a blue aura whipped to life around him. Pieces of rock and other debris began rising into the air from the amount of energy being put out. Nappa even found himself struggling to stand, and had to shield himself to keep from being pelted by the wind and pressurized dirt that was being thrown about. Letting out primal roar, Goku felt his power hit its peak, and he allowed his aura to die down to little more than a faint glow.

"Hey Vegeta!" Nappa yelled to his comrade, "What does the scouter say about his power?"

Vegeta was nearly in a stupor, till Nappa's shout broke him out of it. "Nine...nine thousand six hundred..."

"What? Over nine thousand!"-"That can't be right..." he quickly pulled out his own scouter. Upon seeing the exact same readout as Vegeta's, he chuckled nervously.

"Hah, so what if you have a higher power level than me?"-"It's not just strength that wins a fight, here...let me show you!"

Veins appeared all over his body, as bolts of energy arced all around him. Goku smirked, using an arm to keep the wind and dust out of his face.

The human fighters watched the display in shock.

"I can't believe that he was holding back that much when he fought us." muttered Krillin. "We would be slaughtered now.

"I know, at the rate he's going he might even be able to give Goku a run for his money..." Yamcha said in response.

Finally the storm around the Saiyan died down, and he gave Goku a wicked grin, before kicking off the ground towards him. The Earth raised saiyan spun to the side, avoiding the punch to the face. Thinking fast he threw a one of his own, only for Nappa to meet it head on with his fist. The two broke apart, and clashed again several hundred feet away, creating a booming shock-wave that rocked the entire area.

Finally Goku saw an opening, and slammed a knee into his larger opponents gut. Nappa grimaced, as spit flew from his mouth. He fell back, clutching his stomach with hand. As Goku moved to strike again, Nappa dropped the ruse, and ducked under the blow. Surprised, Goku found himself unable to react fast enough to avoid taking a boot to the face.

He stopped himself almost instantly, spinning to avoid taking the full force of the blow. When Nappa neglected to press on with the attack Goku immediately suspected something was up. But when he simply saw the giant staring off seemingly into space, his curiosity was piqued. Looking closer, he saw what had Nappa so captivated. The bodies of his fallen friends were all glowing, surrounded by an unearthly white light. It took a moment, but he soon managed to piece it all together.

"I'll be...Looks like King Kai decided to let them keep their bodies as well..." Goku mused.

Nappa tilted his head in confusion, "King who?"

Goku smirked.

...

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he died, and frankly, he didn't care. In his mind, Piccolo already knew where he was going to be sentenced to spend eternity. So what was the point of this so called 'judgement'? One big sham, all of it.

He had been waiting in line for several minutes, till some ogre dressed as a cheap security guard called his name, and then proceeded to usher him inside some bizarre looking building.

As he looked up, he couldn't help but marvel at the size of its occupant. But his intrigue soon turned to indifference, with that giving way to annoyance soon after. After a few minutes standing in front of the massive desk, watching the giant as he flipped through pages in a book, he coughed audibly in irritation.

King Yemma licked the tip of his finger and flicked through a couple more pages, before his gaze settled on the Namekian.

"Piccolo Daimao Junior. Though I'm sure you would much prefer to be addressed merely as Piccolo, correct?"

Piccolo nodded his head absentmindedly, in confirmation.

"Your case is a very interesting one, and quite unique...it's not often that I deal with reincarnations."

Piccolo remained to caught up in thought to pay complete attention, being distracted by other worries. Every now and then he would catch a sentence or two, and he made sure to nod each time. Besides, it wasn't as if he really did a whole lot of good things to actually bother to take note of.

"...blowing up a fishing boat, nearly killing the entire crew...

He hoped that Goku had arrived by now. Further, Piccolo hoped that his training would be enough to beat those two. As he was dying, he swore he sensed Goku's ki reappear, but he wasn't for certain.

"...attempting to murder Son Goku at the 23rd Martial Arts tournament...along with conspiracy for global domination..."

That rang a bell to him. And yet, he was glad that he lost. Both for the planets sake and his own. Were it not for that, he would likely be nothing more than a puppet to Daimao.

"...kidnapping Son Gohan, with the intent to bring harm to Son Goku..."

Gohan. That was the next question in his mind. Was he safe? Further, would he even survive the battle?

"...assisting in the defeat of Garlic Junior, saving untold billions from an immortal tyrant..."

By then he was no longer even paying any attention. He knew that he wouldn't be able to be brought back, not with Kami gone as well.

"...defeating Raditz, and potentially preventing many more needless deaths...causing Son Goku's death...but felt great remorse..."

"...And finally, giving up your own life just to save the son of a once hated enemy. A truly grand gesture...noble cause..."

Several more seconds went by, and Piccolo was so lost in thought that he was barely able to perceive the outside world. A booming voice brought him back to full awareness, and nearly blew out both of his ears.

"Hey, I will not tolerate sleeping in my presence. I've already read your sentence three times, so is there anything you have to add?" King Yemma said, looking slightly annoyed.

"No. I figured as such," Piccolo said, still assuming that he knew what that verdict was. "Now, is some pit going to open in the floor to take me to hell, or what?"

King Yemma raised an eyebrow. "Hell?"-"You really weren't paying attention were you?" the giant chuckled, with the sound echoing all throughout the chamber. "What I said, was, normally I would give you instant passage to heaven, or the fighters paradise, whatever you preferred..."

Piccolo face vaulted, "Wait, what?!"

Yemma closed the book and sat it down. "Naturally. You did have a pretty nasty start, but I saw that most of what you did was the fault of your 'father'. You were essentially brainwashed those first few years of your life, molded in his image. Despite that, you rarely acted out of true malice. You questioned your path, and ideals, many times. And afterwords, when Son Goku defeated you, you began to reject your heritage. Once Son Gohan came into the picture, you broke from it entirely. After that, well your heroic deeds speak for themselves. In the grand scheme of things, whatever bad you have done is utterly meaningless when stacked next to your noble deeds. So don't doubt yourself anymore Piccolo."

Piccolo nodded his head, unsure of exactly how to respond.

"As I was saying though...someone of your merit would typically get an instant pass to heaven. But, I have a special request, from the North Kaio himself. He is the one who trained Son Goku. Tien and Chaoutzu have already begun their journey down Snake Way, so if you want to catch up, I urge you to go now!"

Piccolo smirked. But that faltered slightly after realization hit him. "What good will any of this training do, if none of us can be brought back? In case you forgot, Kami is dead too, so that means the dragonballs are useless."

As if on cue, Kami appeared from another door way. "Well Piccolo, that isn't entirely true..."

...

Back at the battle, Goku parried yet another combo from his bald opponent. Neither had broken a sweat, though it was obvious who had the advantage.

Avoiding having his legs swept underneath him, Nappa aimed a punch at Goku's face only for the younger Saiyan to block it handily. Grunting in frustration, he aimed another, and that one got through, catching Goku in the stomach. Nappa knew better than to let up, and clenched his fists together, and hammered Goku down to the ground. Regaining his composure almost instantly, Goku bounded off the hard earth nimbly.

Several more times they clashed, with Goku finding Nappa a surprisingly tough match. Both had yet to lose any power, but Nappa was starting to pant quite heavily. He rushed towards Goku, feigning a kick. When the other reacted accordingly, the former general changed tactics, and fired a massive ball of ki out of his right hand.

Goku crossed both arms over his chest, and braced himself. With a shout his ki surrounded him like a shield, right as the blast hit. The explosion rocked the area, but once the smoke began to clear, Nappa saw Goku hovering mid air, barely a scratch on his person.

The giant smirked. "You really are something else Kakarot. I'm very impressed. In a year you went from being outclassed by Raditz, to standing on level ground with me."

Goku flashed a cheeky grin. "You say that, but from where I'm standing, it looks like I'm a lot more than just your equal."

Nappa scowled for a moment, before the smirk returned. "You certainly have Saiyan pride. But I think this has gone on long enough. Let's see how big your talking after getting a taste of my ultimate technique."

Blood vessels began bulging in his neck and forehead, and energy sparked around him. Suddenly he opened his maw, and released a tremendous amount of concentrated energy.

Goku's eyes bugged out, and he immediately cupped his hands in the trademark fashion.

"Ha!" he shouted out, as his attack rushed to meet Nappa's head on. The two collided, creating a massive explosion, one that nearly blew Goku and Nappa away. Even Vegeta had to throw up both arms to shield himself.

As the smoke finally started to clear, both figures could be seen, each one several dozen feet back from where they were initially. A few beads of sweat trickled down Goku's brow, as Nappa looked on in astonishment.

Goku let out a quick sigh of relief. _Man, if I hadn't used the Kamehameha when I did, that would have messed me up pretty bad. At the rate this is going, beating him'll take all day._

"No way...that was my best attack, and he stopped it just like that." Nappa said flatly. He was surprised, only a select few Saiyans had managed such a feat. Vegeta was one of them, and now...Kakarot too.

The prince stared upward, with a frustrated scowl on his face. Even he hadn't expected this from a third class warrior. Or rather, former third class. The fight was all but decided now. Nappa might have enough energy for one more blast before his power began to ebb away. With his determination it would take a while for him to fall, but Vegeta was starting to realize that the proud general was in way over his head. That was when he made his decision.

"Nappa, your fight is finished! You obviously don't have what it takes, so I'll step in to clean up this mess for you." Vegeta sounded angry, but a part of him was glad this was happening. The whole time he figured Nappa would be the one to do all the dirty work, that no one could challenge him, the prince. But he was wrong on that one. _I doubt he will last long against me, but who better to put him in his proper place? _

Vegeta had to repress a chuckle. That was when he noticed Nappa looking at him, as if those words angered him. The prince scowled. "I don't have time for this, stand down. I won't tell you again."

Nappa shook his head. "No Vegeta. I don't think so." He thought over his choice of words quickly, knowing he didn't have much time. Not with Vegeta's temper. "I plan on seeing this through to the end, regardless of out it plays out. I'm a Saiyan too you know, do you think I'd walk out on a fight like this?"-"Don't worry, I'm sure you get your turn soon enough."

Anger flooded through him for a brief moment, before being replaced with amusement. And pride. Of course Nappa would want this, what Saiyan wouldn't? He himself wouldn't flee from a fight like this, so why would he dare to expect anything less from his comrade?

"As you wish then Nappa." he said with a laugh, "Try not to get yourself killed though, not a lot of us left."

Nappa nodded, before allowing his energy to billow around himself. "Well then, lets finish it."

Goku nodded. He definitely planned on it. Only he knew that he couldn't afford to let this draw out any longer. He would win, almost certainly, but he didn't want to think about how much energy he would burn through before he did. Considering he sensed that his other opponent was at least as strong as his base state, he couldn't be at anything less than full power when facing him. With that, his mind was made up.

Nappa had grown tired of waiting, and had charged in, fist already poised to strike. Having been absorbed in thought, Goku didn't think to block, and was smashed clean across the jaw. Stopping himself, he managed to block the next swing with his arm.

Through gritted teeth, he managed to speak. "Guess that seals it. I've enjoyed out fight, but I have to put a stop to this now."

"And how do you expect to do that so easily?" Nappa retorted.

"Heh, you'll see. One day, maybe we'll be able to do this again under better terms. I'm sorry to end it like this..."-"Kaioken!" he roared, knocking Nappa back nearly a hundred feet, as a crimson aura enveloped his body, forcing his spiky hair to levitate slightly.

"What the, what is this?" Nappa stammered.

"Nappa, his power just passed fourteen thousand, get your ass out of there!" Vegeta bellowed, concerned not onlywith Nappa's safety, but angered that he didn't listen when he was first told to back down.

Faster than Nappa's eyes could properly track, Goku moved forward. The giant swung, scoring a hit to Goku's face. Unfortunately Goku's fist had also found it's way to his stomach. He doubled over in pain, before being slammed across his temple. Fighting to even remain conscious, he tried using his ultimate move again, only for Goku to bat it away with one hand.

The next thing he knew he was being pummeled from all sides. Almost in an instant, he suddenly saw the ground coming up on him. Right before he could hit he felt a slight stabbing in his back. It wasn't from an attack though. Goku had caught him with one arm, and with a surprisingly gentle motion he sat him down on the ground in front of Vegeta.

"You might want to get him out of here, I made sure not to hit any vital points, but he probably still needs some sort of medical attention." Goku said. A second later he nearly cringed when the image of thousands needles inadvertently popped into his mind.

The prince gave Goku a sneer, before looking disdainfully at Nappa's broken form. "Pathetic. And to think, had you actually listened to me this wouldn't have happened."

Nappa groaned in pain, before raising his head to look Vegeta in the eyes. "Heh...guess I got too caught up in the moment...besides you know I couldn't back down from a fight like that..."

"Enough!" Vegeta said. "You disobeyed a direct order...which landed you in this condition. I should kill you for that you know-"

His eyes went wide. "Prince V-vegeta, after everything we've suffered through...you...you wouldn't, would you?"

Goku unconsciously tensed up. Even after all the things he had done, the Earth raised Saiyan knew he couldn't sit by and watch something like that. Vegeta smirked. "You know me well Nappa...too well. With our history I couldn't."-" Plus, you'll be of greater use to me alive then dead. Considering the beating you got, no telling how strong you'll be once you're healed."

Vegeta pulled out a small device and punched a few buttons. After a few seconds one of their space pods flew in from over the horizon. It quickly slowed as it approached, before stopping smoothly a few feet from the three warriors.

"I,...Vegeta... thank you..." Nappa muttered, nearly lapsing out of consciousness.

"Save it weakling." the prince said with a snort. As soon as the pod opened up, he tossed Nappa inside, caring little for his companions personal comfort. _Ha, that will be his punishment for losing...and for refusing an order._

The door closed, and with nothing more than a simple flash of light indicating that it was charging up, it vanished, clearing the atmosphere in under a second.

Goku looked on, slightly impressed with what he had saw. "Guess you're not so bad after all..." Of course, it was under his breath, to the point that Vegeta barely even heard him.

He turned to Gohan, Krillin and Yamcha. "Krillin, Yamcha...you should probably get Gohan back to Master Roshi's. You all did more than enough already, so it's only fair that I handle the rest. Gohan, you really have made me proud...you've grown so much in the past year. I'll have a lot of catching up to do for sure, but for now you should get where it's safe."

"Thanks dad, you make sure to give'm one for me and Mister Piccolo, okay?" Gohan said, throwing a punch at the air to symbolize what he meant.

Goku smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I sure will." A few meters away, he faintly heard Vegeta scoff at that. Not that it bothered him, but it brought his mind back to the imminent battle in an instant.

No sooner than the three take to the sky, did Vegeta speak up. "Aren't we the sentimental one, trying to protect your brat and friends from danger. Not that I care. What happens to them is none of my concern now. My only goal right now is crushing you beneath my heel. Which judging by your paltry power level, should be a trivial matter. So now that little warm up with Nappa is done, are you ready to see what a true warrior; one of the highest rank, can do?"

Goku smirked, before shaking his head. "Yeah...of course, but not here. From what I could see, we are still pretty close to a few cities...and I would hate for anyone to get hurt because of us. So what do you say we take this a bit further out, over that way?" he pointed to the small mountain range in the distance.

Vegeta crossed his arms in front of his chest. "But of course. Whatever it takes for you to fight at your absolute best. Now, lead the way, this is your planet after all."

Goku merely nodded, before a white aura came to life around him. A second later, he blasted off, with the prince only a few meters behind him. After a couple minutes, they touched down near a ravine on the other side of the mountain range. Each landed on rock pillars, with less than twenty feet between them.

"I'm surprised Kakarot. It takes a lot of guts to face down a warrior of my caliber without fear. At least being on this planet hasn't softened you up so much that you forgot how to be a Saiyan."

Goku gave a cocky grin, as a breeze kicked up, blowing his hair around slightly. "This planet is my home, and the people on it are my friends. So I'm sure you could understand why I'm so willing to give anything to protect them."

"I've already said before that I don't give a damn about them. I don't particularly care whether they live or die, but I have no desire to be the cause. The only thing I care about-", he tightened his fist. "-is beating the living hell out of you. You refused to help Raditz by not joining us, and you played a big part in his death. I know the Namekian killed him, but you no doubt were the one restraining him. It explains why you died the first time. It isn't too late though, if you promise to join us and swear loyalty to me I will spare your miserable life. Or you could fight, and die like the worthless traitor you are."

"I already made that clear to him that I wanted nothing to do with what you do!" Goku said, raising his voice noticeably. "If it didn't involve killing innocent people I would have gladly done whatever it took to help, but otherwise, the answer is no."

The prince grinned, as if he expected that answer all along. "Ha, I'll commend you on your level of commitment to such naive idealism, foolish as it may be. But I think that is enough talk...come on clown, the first move is yours."

Goku got into a fighting stance, before kicking off the rock, destroying it in the process. In an instant he closed the gap, and began hammering away at the flame haired warrior with a variety of moves. Yet each and everyone was being blocked, seemingly with little effort. Finally Vegeta struck back, with a backhand to the face that knocked him back several hundred feet.

Once he stopped, he wiped the blood from his lip and began looking for his opponent. At the peak of another plateau Goku spotted him, and immediately blasted towards him. He swung, only to have the image of the prince vanish right as his fist went through it.

_That's not the after image technique, is he really that fast? _Goku had no time to keep thinking, as he felt the others ki less than a foot away. He aimed a kick, only for Vegeta to dodge it with blinding speed.

All of a sudden he felt something pressed against the side of his head. Turning around ever so slightly he saw the other, hand aglow with purple energy.

"Come now, is this the best that you can do? Whatever happened to that power you showed against Nappa?" he smirked when he saw the sweat beading down Goku's brow and neck. "Don't tell me that little trick was a one time thing, because if so I see no further reason to keep you alive." as if to drive the point home, sparks began coursing up and down his arm, swirling violently around his outstretched hand.

At that moment, Goku began mentally kicking himself for not noticing it sooner. Vegeta had somehow been masking his ki, and while crude, it was enough to fool him into making a mistake that could have cost him his life. Well, no more.

"I think I can kick it up a bit...Kaioken!" red ki surge around him, causing his muscles to bulk up slightly. And faster than the prince could react to, Goku spun around and landed a roundhouse kick to his shoulder. Steadying himself, Vegeta was briefly thrown on the defensive, quickly trying to compensate for his foes sudden increase in strength and speed.

He rebounded quickly enough though, edging Goku out in both speed and strength. In the span of 10 seconds they clashed over a dozen times, with Goku finding great difficulty keeping up. The younger fighter managed to catch Vegeta with a quick jab to the face, but was thrown back by a powerful opened palm strike to his forehead.

They came to a halt a few meters apart. Taking advantage of the lull, Goku allowed his body a reprieve and dropped out of the basic level of Kaioken. It was easy to use it for several minutes at a time now, but that didn't mean he wanted to abuse it when it wasn't needed.

Vegeta crossed his arms, and gave Goku a thin smirk. "Well Kakarot, not bad. I can see how Nappa was beaten so easily. But it'll take more than that for you to beat me...I'm sure you noticed that you're outmatched in every possible way. And yet I don't expect you to give up."

Goku rubbed his upper lip. "To tell you the truth, I really haven't been giving it my all. Neither have you though. I could tell from your posture and movements that you really haven't been fighting seriously."

"Hahaha, very perceptive. And that is exactly what I wanted to hear Kakarot." the prince said with a dark chuckle, -"I've been waiting a long time for a challenge like this, though I never expected it from someone who was born a third class, I welcome it all the same. " he got back into a fighting stance. And from what Goku could see, it was one with virtually no weak-points.

"Now prepare yourself fool, because play times over!"

Vegeta rushed at Goku, who barely had enough time to activate the Kaioken. Spinning to the side, he avoided a an elbow to the gut, before lashing out with a flurry of well aimed punches and kicks. Vegeta blocked most, but was hit unexpectedly when Goku nailed him in the gut with an electrically charged kick. But it did little to hinder the prince, who quickly retaliated with a right hook to Goku's cheek, and then another one that sent him spinning to the ground.

"Kaioken times two!" in an instant he stopped himself, and sped back towards Vegeta at blinding speed.

...

At Kame House, Master Roshi, Chi Chi, Bulma and the others were all huddled around Fortuneteller Baba's crystal ball. All were watching the fight intently. Except Bulma, who kept stopping every few minutes to fiddle with the alien device that Piccolo recovered from Goku's brother. It had been a pain to reprogram it to display numbers in Earth's standard language, but she learned so much in the many months that it had taken to do so.

As it turned out, the standard language, or at least the one encoded on the scouter was very much like the language on Earth. The numbers were different, and it's alphabet contained over four times the characters, but it was very much similar in terms of grammar and syntax. It even sounded similar when spoken, which only added to the mystery. She had a few theories about why the languages were so similar, but wanted to do further research before coming to a definite conclusion.

But that could wait a while longer. She had managed to get the display converted over, as well as copying all of the inner schematics over to blueprints. The communications system, and it's method of sending data instantly to other devices many light years apart baffled her, but in time she knew she would figure it out. She rubbed her forehead, trying to keep the migraine that was coming on at bay. So many headaches, so little time.

All of a sudden Chi Chi leaped out of her seat with a shout. "Hey, looks like Goku is about to fight the shorter one!"

"Whats there to worry about, he just beat the crap out of the big steroid using ogre so why would that little guy be any trouble?"

Chi Chi smacked the back of Oolongs head with a closed fist, knocking him clean on his face. "Idiot..."

"Chi Chi's right...as powerful and intimidating as the first one was, the danger he posed is nothing compared to this new challenger." Master Roshi said, glancing over to her from behind his darkened sunglasses. Though it was a long ways away, he could still sense the power that they were putting out. And the odds didn't seem good for Son Goku, despite his phenomenal increase in power.

"I think I have a solution to one of our problems!" Bulma said, slipping the green tinted scouter over her eye. She quickly pressed a few buttons and some numbers came up.

"There we go...one of them, Goku I'm guessing, is at 9,600. The other..." her face went pale. "...h-his power reading is right at 18,000."

They saw the opening exchange between Goku and Vegeta, with the results quickly backing up the raw numbers. Then something changed.

"Hey wait a minute, Goku's power just shot up to 14,400...maybe he does have a chance."

Several more clashes later, suddenly they saw Goku's aura nearly double in size, and the crystal ball flickered for a few moments, snowy static obscuring much of the action.

Chi Chi huffed indignantly."Hey what gives you old hag? I though this was supposed to be some of the best magic otherworld had to offer!"

Master Roshi's sister shot her a fierce glare. "I don't even have to be here at all, so you might want to try being a little more respectful you know!" the centuries old crone snapped back. "Besides, can't you sense how powerful those two are?"-"Of course you can, so is it any small wonder my orb is having so much trouble?!" she kicked it once for good measure, with the image coming back in full clarity.

"There, happy now?" Baba said with the tiniest hint of a smile.

Chi Chi cracked her knuckles, only for Bulma to step nervously between the two women. "Hey guys, this thing says Goku's at 19,200 right now...looks like he's going to win after all!"

_I wouldn't be sure it's over just yet...who knows what tricks that little fiend has up his sleeve. _Master Roshi though to himself.

...

Vegeta blasted his way out of a pile of rocks that he had been hammered into. He should have been angry that a low level was managing to get the best of him, but instead he was beside himself. Frieza rarely sent him on missions that presented a true challenge, claiming that he never wanted his 'little prince' to be hurt. But deep down Vegeta knew it was because the slimy bastard didn't want him getting too strong. Thanks to that, his main form of amusement came from within Frieza's own army. Even then, most of those were either helpless little weaklings, or juggernauts far beyond his level of strength. He was forbidden from picking fights with the lesser elements, while everyone near his level and beyond were instructed not to mess with him.

Not that he obeyed, but Frieza had a way of finding out when he had 'misbehaved. However, that was neither here nor there, and all that mattered to him at the moment was what was right in front of his face.

Seeing that his opposite had fallen back for a moment, the prince took that as his chance. "This day is full of surprises. I never expected to have to do this, least of all not because of you. But you've pushed for it Kakarot. And I'm sure the Saiyan in you has been dying to see it. Well get ready clown, because you're about to get what you wanted...prepare to witness my true power!"

A purple aura lit up around Vegeta, hissing and crackling like an open flame. All around him high power bolts of energy began discharging violently, prompting Goku to power back into the first stage of Kaioken. With the amount of energy being tossed around, being in his base state was out of the question. One stray bolt could knock him out of the fight in an instant.

In a few seconds it was done, with a final burst of energy the prince hit the pinnacle of his power. Goku shielded himself till the wind died down. In front of him was a sneering Vegeta, already poised to strike. In a flash Goku called upon the second level, right before a crimson blast came speeding his way.

Instead of taking the full brunt, he quickly turned to the side, but still ended up having most of his upper gi scorched away from the heat of the attack. After putting out the embers he rushed in. The flame haired fighter anticipated his first strike, and quickly blocked it with his forearm

Less than a second later they phased out of sight, creating monstrous shock-waves wherever they collided. Several clashes later, Vegeta succeeded in planting a foot across Goku's cheek, but the younger Saiyan reacted quickly, by grabbing Vegeta's leg and slinging off off to the side. That did little to hinder the prince, because with a burst of speed he was already on Goku, coming at him from seemingly all directions. For several seconds he managed to fend off Vegeta's frenzied assault, and even dealing out a few blows of his own.

That wasn't enough though, and he finally slipped up and he was dealt a powerful hay-maker to his temple. The sheer force, coupled with his lack of focus caused him to lose his power enhanced state, but only for a millisecond. He reactivated it, right in time for an elbow to slam roughly into his nose. Wiping the blood away, he counted his blessings that he was able to fire up the second level when he did. Otherwise that attack would have done a lot more than just bloody his face.

Vegeta sneered. "My my, seems the tide has turned against you once more. Caught in a losing battle...tragic...especially considering that you seem to have reached the limit of your power."

Breathing heavily, and with several beads of sweat trickling down his bruised and bloody face, Goku still found it in him to defy the prince with a wild grin. "I wouldn't be so confident in that if I were you. I still have a lot more fight left in me, and a lot more power left to give." Red energy popped and hissed around him, causing Vegeta to take a step back from where he was standing.

"Kaioken...times...Threeeeee!"

With a roar, his aura blasted out, pressing a crater into the rock beneath him.

"No...it can't be..." Vegeta stammered out. He got back into a fighting position, only for his opponent to speed towards him like a rocket. Instinctively Vegeta leaped into the sky to avoid him, but was shocked to see Goku catch up to him in a matter of seconds. With a swift blow, he smashed the prince across the cheek with the force of a small mountain.

The elite Saiyan was seeing stars, all the while unable to stop his rapid descent. A mountain was looming up ahead, and he did the only thing possible, and fired a blast straight at it. The energy destroyed the entire side, but it also generated enough resistance for him to stabilize his trajectory. Finally at a halt, he gingerly rubbed the spot on his cheek, that was already beginning to swell up slightly.

_How did he get this much power...there is no way I can fight against that up close. It has to be from a distance._ He thought to himself angrily. So instead of racing in, he took off into the sky. To his surprise, he noticed that Goku's aura had dimmed down, and he was moving much slower. Which was interesting to Vegeta.

He gather his ki, and fired a blast straight at Goku. The wild haired fighter only had a couple of seconds to react, forcing his body back to to the third level of Kaioken. With a grunt, he caught the blast and kicked it up into the air.

With a sigh, he dropped back down to the next lowest level of the technique. Something Vegeta picked up on right away.

"Seems Kakarot is limited to using that power in short bursts. That can be used against him quite nicely." he thought aloud to himself. And before Goku could boost his power back up, Vegeta quickly phased next to him, slamming him roughly to the ground with an elbow strike. That was followed by a boot driving itself into Goku's back, pushing him deep into the ground. Vegeta made a mistake, and stuck around a nanosecond too long, and before the prince knew it his opponent was back on his feet with the Kaioken charged back up to the third level.

Ducking swiftly, he avoid the blow to the jaw, but wasn't able to dodge the kick to his temple. The blow sent the proud warrior skidding across the jagged rocks. When Goku darted in across the ground, Vegeta lashed with his legs, sweeping Goku's feet out from underneath him. Then, grabbing the other by his Gi, the prince used his speed to his advantage by flinging the hapless fighter off into the distance.

For a moment he waited, till Goku's ki exploded out from where he had been buried. In a flash he was attacking Vegeta, forcing the prince to parry combos left and right. Switching things up, he hit the third level long enough to block a punch, and then retaliate with one of his own.

Vegeta stumbled backwards shakily, nose nearly broken. Despite that, he was laughing to himself quietly. _His attacks are slowly getting weaker. The difference was subtle, but that ability seems to be taking a toll on him each time he uses it._

The prince cackled. "Perfect!", then with a quick movement he launched himself forward, planting a foot deep into Goku's chest. With the air knocked from his lungs, he barely had time to dodge the next strike, trying his best not to allow the Kaioken to slip away again. One hit at his base level and he was a goner.

"Kaioken times three!" this time he felt a slight sting, and realized that he was beginning to push his body too far. This had to be finished quickly.

Vegeta tried to put some distance, but a kiai sent him sprawling through the air, giving Goku time to catch up. With a powerful blow, he knocked the prince through a pillar of rock, before descending to the second level and resuming pursuit. By then it was also obvious to him that his opponent was catching on to the Kaioken's weakness. Which meant he had to try and switch things up.

In a careful manner, he went on the attack, skillfully transitioning between Kaioken levels, so as to keep his body from giving out. And it seemed to be working quite well, with the sheer randomness throwing off Vegeta's otherwise brilliant strategy.

The prince was growing very frustrated. After suffering a knee to the back, he managed to blast the clown, and was able to take temporary refuge behind a few boulders. Of course it would only be for a few seconds, seeing as how Kakarot and his friends seemed to be capable of sensing energy.

"Damn him... the bastard is taking a lot longer to wear down that I hoped. At this rate my body could fall apart before his does." he clenched his fists tightly. "Of all the people, why does he have to be the one to rival me in skill...no doubt he caught on to my strategy." suddenly his face lit up, as a maniacal grin formed.

"I didn't want to resort to it, but he left me no choice." he blasted off, stopping several hundred feet in the air. When their eyes met, he gave an icy glare. "I've had enough of this, and you...either take this next attack head on, or say goodbye to you precious planet." Vegeta moved his hands behind himself, keeping them inches apart, as dark purple energy began forming between them. He grinned when he saw his enemy taking the bait, obviously charging an attack of his own.

"Ka...me..."

"Now let's see you multiply your powerlevel enough to beat this Kakarot!" he said, as Goku was chanting the name of his attack to himself. "Try this on for size why don't you...Galick Gun!"

"...hame..haaaaaaa!

...

...

"Woah, you feal that guys?!" Yamcha said with a hint of panic. All three had nearly been knocked out of the sky when a massive shockwave blew right past them. Even flying at a leisurely speed, they were still nearly fifty miles from the site of the battle.

Krillin wiped some sweat from his brow, trying to get his nerves under control. "Yeah no kidding! Man, really seems like they're putting everything they've got into that attack."

Gohan looked back, spotting a massive bluish purple glow in the distance. "You can even see it from here...I sure hope my dads okay...maybe...maybe we should go back and see if he needs help, just in case..."

Yamcha and Krillin exchanged terrified glances at that. Yet, if Goku somehow lost, then they were the planets last line of defense in case the Saiyan didn't want to leave peacefully.

The former bandit nodded his head tentatively. "Maybe Gohan's right...he might need our help. Besides, no way that shrimp could have much power left after that,"- he pointed to the struggle taking place, -"So between all of us, we should be able to waste him, right?"

"I hope your right about that Yamcha." Krillin said cautiously.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Nappa (Full power) 8,250 (Ultimate attack): 10,450

Goku: 9,600 (Impromptu Kamehameha): 10,500

Goku (Kaioken): 14,400 (KaiokenX2): 19,200 (KaiokenX3): 28,800 (Weakened KaiokenX3): 27,700

Vegeta (Suppressed): 10,000-16,000 (Holding back): 18,000 (Full power): 22,500 (Slightly weakened): 22,250 (Galick Gun): Over 30,000

Gohan: 4,105

Krillin: 3,470

Yamcha: 3,060


	12. The Way Forward

A/N: Made decent time getting this chapter done. The Saiyan saga is over now, and the next chapter begins the Namek Saga. Regarding the Kaioken, and how it affects the multiplication of concentrated energy attacks, I'll try and explain next chapter.

Speaking of that, my guess is that it'll be out by or around the 4th of July. Barring any unforeseen issues, naturally.

animekingmike: Exactly. That was something that was never touched upon in canon, so I thought it needed some sort of explanation.

Plasmic: Well, my version of Vegeta probably would not have killed Nappa anyway. Remember, he has gone through life a bit differently than canon Vegeta did. As for them on Namek, they might be an issue. To more than just the Z-fighters.

Guest: I am glad you took enough time to type all that. I won't be critical of your spelling though, since you are obviously trying to be helpful lol. Those questions are hard to answer without spoiling much, but I'll say this. Piccolo will be stronger, and Nappa will play a pivotal role in the upcoming saga. Past that, I'm not at liberty to say.

KGF: Thanks.

yukikiralacus: That is good you like it.

And as I always say, all types of reviews are welcome. I actually prefer those that go a bit more in depth, than the ones simply saying "Cool story" and moving on. Not that those aren't great, but I sometimes find myself yearning for a bit more at times.

Well, here is the chapter, so don't forget to R&R.

* * *

><p>Bulma looked at the scouter, while doing her best to keep track of the fight using Baba's crystal ball. Which wasn't all that hard now, consider both fighters had just launched high powered attacks at each other. Everyone had heard Vegeta's threat about destroying the planet, and that only make them all the more apprehensive.<p>

It wasn't just Goku's life at stake now, it was the lives of billions. None of them, not even Master Roshi, could say for certain on whether or not he was bluffing. Obviously none present had ever seen a planet be destroyed, so they had no idea if the power the little Saiyan was putting out could really do it.

What they did know, was that it was nearly ten times stronger than the blast Piccolo used to blow up the moon. Either way, it wouldn't bode well for the planet if it hit.

"Well," Bulma said with some degree of hesitation. "Both of them seem to be about even..." then she saw something that sent a surge of panic through her entire being.

"No Goku, you can do it...don't let that ugly little troll beat you!" she threw a punch, catching Master Roshi by mistake, breaking one on the lenses in his glasses.

"Easy there Bulma, we can save that for later hehehe." he started to laugh while reaching out to grope her, only to be punched again by Chi Ch with enough force to knock him through the window and out into the ocean.

"Filthy old creep...of all the times you could pick to act like that..." she trailed off, forgetting about the lecher entirely. His actions were of little concern.

Bulma was watching, as the numbers on her scouter kept dropping steadily. The only problem was, one was falling much faster than the other. "C'mon Goku..."

...

...

It was no use. At first his Kamehameha had been a perfect match for Vegeta's attack, but with the Kaioken quickly sapping his stamina that wasn't going to last much longer. He could feel his power beginning to slip, and knew that it was only a matter of time before Vegeta's beam began to overtake his own.

What was worse, was that he had nothing better to use that the Kamehameha, King Kai had ordered him not to try anything else.

"Damn, using the Super Kamehameha is out of the question...my body would be fried on the spot...and I still haven't had the practice to control the Masenko with this level of Kaioken." he said to himself. Of course, over the roar of energy his own words failed to reach his ears.

Suddenly his body spasmed, and he nearly lost the Kaioken. That was all Vegeta needed, and gradually his beam began advancing closer and closer to where Goku was standing.

Defying logic and in spite of the cacophony, he could faintly hear Vegeta cackling to himself high up in the sky.

"That's it...I'm dead if I don't, and so is the Earth..."

"_Don't do it Goku, can't you see your doing exactly as he wants you to do?_" Exclaimed King Kai telepathically. "_Go any higher and you risk killing yourself instantly. That is a living body Goku, even I have no idea what could happen to you if you do_."

"Not to be rude King Kai, but I really don't have a choice. I'll die for sure without it, and you know I won't risk the planet. Even if he is bluffing I can't take the chance."

_"But...very well. Just, try and make it through this...an entire year was enough, I'd never be able to afford the food to feed you for an eternity."_

Goku heard a faint chuckle and the link went dead. Now was the time to do or die. Maybe both.

With as much control as he could, he willed his ki to stretch even further. "Kaio...ken...times FOURRRR!"

His aura blasted out, causing streaks of red to course through the attack. In an instant it recovered all the ground previously lost...and kept speeding onward towards the prince.

"No! No! Nooo Fuuuuuuuu!" Vegeta exclaimed, right as he was swept up and away by the massive red and blue wave.

At that moment Gohan and the others arrived. All three had managed to catch the final part of the struggle, with the prince being blasted high up into the sky.

Krillin walked over to his friend and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Hey Goku, great job on finishing that guy off."

"Hmph oh yeah, that'll teach him to mess with us ever again!" Yamcha said with undue confidence.

Goku simply shook his head, a deathly serious look on his face. "No, he's still alive. Without a doubt."

Krillin nearly bit down on his tongue in astonishment. "He's what?!"-"How the hell is that even possible?"

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Well, his attack probably took most of the force out of my Kamehameha before it even it him. I know it still hurt him pretty bad, but as soon as he escapes from that blast he'll most likely have more power than I do right now. If anything he'll be even more pissed off than ever. You guys probably have maybe a minute or two before he comes back out of the stratosphere, so use it to find somewhere safe to hide. Don't jump in unless I go down though."

They nodded, clearly sensing Vegeta's energy. Right now was not the time for an argument. They took off as quickly as they arrived, managing to find a small cave to hide in a couple miles away.

...

"uuuuck" Vegeta roared, throwing himself off the blazing hot energy beam. His armor was wrecked, with portions of his now frayed jumpsuit showing through in large places. Several parts of his chest were burned severely, and his right eye was swollen shut.

Angrily the prince's good eye darted to and fro across the sky. It was late afternoon and the sun was nearing the horizon, so surely the moon would have come out by now. Unless...unless it had been destroyed.

"Damn those worthless fucks!

Especially that traitor!" he hissed, furious at the humiliation he had gone through. "I transcend the rank of elite, and still this _peasant_ is able to do this to me!" he spat.

But he calmed himself, assured in the knowledge that Kakarot should no longer be a threat. Not with his ultimate trump card. "Hahaha...the clod has no idea what he is about to be up against. Soon Kakarot, you will understand the meaning of true terror. Even with you're power, you'll be no match for the mighty Oozaru!"

A purple aura covered his wounded form, and be blasted down, through the clouds and towards his opponent.

...

He had been flying for the better part of the past half hour, and he still didn't know how he felt about everything. Still, it was all so very interesting, especially the thought of training with the same god who trained Goku.

Piccolo laughed to himself at that, wondering just what he was getting himself into with this. Someone who could put up with the deranged Saiyan for nearly a year had to have a few screws loose somewhere. _And what does that say about me?_ he thought, recalling all time time he had spent training with the happy go lucky bastard. And his son.

At least the boy was alive and doing well, from what Kami and Yemma told him before his departure. That and Goku had just defeated the gorilla that had inadvertently killed him. The Namekian shook his head at that. Knowing Son, he would probably spare the brute his like always Whether that was a good thing or not, Piccolo couldn't say. For all he knew, those two Saiyans could end up becoming allies in their own right some say.

A loud chuckle escaped his lips at the thought. "Feh, as if that would ever happen."

Several more minutes passed, and he found himself oddly frustrated for some reason. King Yemma told him that Tien and Chaoutzu had left only minutes before he arrived, so he couldn't figure out how they managed to get so far ahead.

On cue, something tripped his senses. Focusing his eyes, he saw two small specks up ahead. The Namek smiled, finding himself oddly relieved that he wouldn't be making the journey alone after all.

...

With a resounding bang, Vegeta landed a few meters in front of his opponent. Goku had been expecting that however and managed to smirk at the prince, wincing slightly from the pain in his muscles.

"You've really gone and done it now Kakarot. You, a third class weakling...rising up to challenge one of such noble blood as myself. Such a thing is nearly unheard of in Saiyan culture. But in doing so, you've sealed your fate.

Tell me clown, have you ever heard tale of the destructive might of the Oozaru?" the prince said, laughing deeply. Having lived on such a backwater world, Vegeta didn't expect him to have any idea what that was. Especially since most low level Saiyans could not even control such fearsome power.

Regardless of how strong they become, few ever had the mental discipline to control the beast within, and instead would become slaves to their own base instincts for the duration of the transformation.

Only the elites and royal family were trained in such methods.

So when he saw the other Saiyan simply nod his head and laugh, the prince made little effort to conceal his surprise.

A second later he regained his composure. A ball of white energy appeared in his hand, pulsating with an unusual form of ki. "You see this Kakarot?

Invented by none other than your own father. Most only thought of him as a brainless warrior, but he also had a brilliant mind. This replicates the effects of a full moon, allowing us to transform without the need for the real thing. Ironic don't you think, that the man who sired you is also going to inadvertently be responsible for your demise."

It was then that Vegeta noticed Goku's tail lashing around. The entire fight it had been curled nearly around his waist, and now it was moving about behind him. Almost as if he didn't want it noticed till now.

"Wait a minute, you still have your tail?" Vegeta asked in a monotone voice. _Surely though, he would have no concept of how to control that form. _

Goku nodded. "Yep. And I think I've figured out what you're planning to do and I got news for you, it won't work."

Vegeta glared at him sharply.

"A long time ago, I couldn't control the ape form. Hell, for the longest time I never even knew what happened to me on those nights." he thought of his grandpa briefly. That he still hadn't fully forgiven himself for. "But then I trained with the guardian of this planet. At first he wanted to simply cut of off, but I refused. Even after he told me what happened every time I saw a full moon, I still couldn't do it. My tail was too much a part of me I suppose..."

"So instead, under his training, among other things I learned to control it. And you know what else, I've also learned how to use the Kaioken with it as well." Goku gave a wide grin. "So you doing that won't really change much. Then again, I can tell that using that ability to create a fake moon is going to drain a lot of your energy. So go ahead if you want, but you might be giving me a bigger advantage than I already have."

"Cocky little bastard!" Vegeta growled out. He then smirked. "Have it your way then, I'll just beat you like this!" he allowed the energy to return to his body, before abruptly charging Goku.

The blow came faster than expected, with Goku barely managing to catch it. With a quick maneuver, he spun and kicked Vegeta forward. _Damn it this is bad! At this rate I don't think I have a choice, he's still too strong...I just hope my body can still handle it._

Right as Vegeta bounded towards him, Goku did his best to prepare himself.

"Kaioken!" a fist hammered Vegeta in the gut, knocking the prince back across the ground. After spitting out some blood, he jumped back into the sky, energy at the ready in both hands. "So you want to use that cheap trick again huh Kakarot?" he licked his upper lip.

"This isn't the first time I've went up against people that could increase their power in short bursts, though you are the first to actually make good use of the skill. However, it suffers from the same flaw as all the others whom I've faced. And you made the mistake of allowing me time to figure it out. Probably your biggest blunder of all."

The prince let loose a volley of blasts, forcing Goku to use the Kaioken, just to block and avoid them. Vegeta took advantage of that, by flying in from the side and smashing the other with a devastating blow to the middle of his rib cage. Goku coughed up a mouthful of blood, before nailing Vegeta as hard as possible in his wounded eye.

As the prince hissed in pain, he kicked him in the jaw, before flashing into the Kaioken for the split second needed to hammer him off into the distance. "I can't keep this up much longer, every time I use the Kaioken it damages my body a little more. With the way this is going I'll be too weak to even keep up with the Kaioken before long. Got to think of something."

A goofy grin came over Goku's lips as an idea popped into his head. He collected some energy in his hand, and fired it straight into the ground. Carefully he guided it, carving a short tunnel below the rocky desert. Several hundred feet away, Vegeta gave a battle cry.

Goku got into a fighting stance, right as the prince charged at him. The moment before Vegeta's fist would have connected, he jumped into the hole and blasted the top part shut behind him.

The shorter Saiyan came to a screeching halt mid flight. "What the hell are you planning Kakarot?" the prince questioned to himself. With his one eye, he looked around, slowly ascending as he did so. When he saw a spot caving in on the ground he chuckled. "Clever, very clever. But that won't work on me!" As he the last word left him, he fired a wave of ki down to where he presumed Goku was, ripping a half mile long trench into the earth.

He then heard a sudden scraping sound, and turned directly into a flaming red fist. The blow sent him flying towards the ground, forcing him to do a handspring in order to land on his feet. As he looked up he saw his opponent racing towards him, without the crimson aura.

With a swift movement, he ducked under a kick, then thrust his elbow up into Goku's chest. He sneered right in Goku's face as he felt a few ribs crack from the strain of his blow.

Both landed a moment later, just a few feet apart. Goku was clutching his chest, breathing heavily.

"Bastard!" Vegeta spat. "You and those allies of yours ruined everything.

Yet I still can't help but commend you. Your skill is a rarity, and is nearly on par with my own. Which makes it an even bigger shame that I have to kill you. Too bad, you would have been a good asset against Frieza. But since you couldn't be counted on, well that is where the wish for immortality comes in."

Goku's eyes widened slightly in confusion. "But you can't make a wish. Piccolo is dead," he gave the prince a dark glare,"Your friend killed him. So the dragonballs are useless."

Vegeta folded his arms arrogantly. "The ones here don't concern me. Tell me simpleton, were you not aware that the one Nappa killed was a Namekian?"

"Well, not at first. But while I was dead King Kai did mention something along those lines..."

The flame haired Saiyan nodded his head. "Exactly. Meaning that if they were here, on this backwater mud-ball, then who knows what his home planet has. They might even have more than one set." he gave a look, as if something major was weighing on him. "If that is the case, we might even bring the weakling Raditz back to life."

Goku looked at him in surprise. Obviously Vegeta was a far more complex person than he let on. He really did place a lot of value in camaraderie despite his callous demeanor.

Suddenly his features broke into a snarl, and the prince tightened his fist. "That will have to wait though. You still have a debt to pay, and I intend to collect on it now!"

Vegeta blasted the ground in front of Goku, sending a shower of rocks and dust flying right into his face. Knowing he would have only a few seconds to take advantage of the distraction, he made a wide arc, coming in right behind Goku. The latter was caught unaware, being slammed face first into the ground by a set of interlocked fists. As he looked up Goku saw Vegeta preparing to stomp down on his head. In a spur of the moment decision, he grabbed Vegeta's boot with both hands right as it began it's downward descent.

Straining, he knew what he had to do. "Kaioken!"

The extra strength gave him enough power to throw his assailant up into the sky, but a pain in his chest nearly caused him to black out. The move had been used too many times, and his body was at the breaking point. Even another usage could kill him now.

"Guess I'll have to find a way without it, somehow." with that he flipped up and into the air, before driving his knee into the back of the others neck. Before Vegeta could spin around he flew up towards the clouds. He hit the brakes right in the middle of a large cloud, finding the moisture oddly soothing to his wounds.

Several blasts shot through, though most didn't even come within several meters of him. "That's right, he can't sense my energy. There has to be a way to use that to my advantage." he snapped his fingers, "I got it."

"Hey Vegeta, looking for me!?" he said, using his ki to blast the clouds away. Hair dripping wet, he smirked, and placed both hands in front of his face.

"Solar Flare!" he yelled as Vegeta looked right at him. Mentally he was grateful that he had learned that move from Tien.

Vegeta howled in pain, clenching his good eye tight. "God damn you people and your cheap fu-", his sentence remained unfinished, as Goku grabbed him by the hair and kneed him repeatedly in the face. Feeling his nose crack, Vegeta managed to grab Goku's leg and force it to a halt. With his vision slowly coming back, he thrust his head forward into Goku's already wounded chest.

It was tempting to stop and savor the satisfaction of causing the other Saiyan even more harm for what he had done, but Vegeta knew he could not. With a grunt of pain he popped his nose back into place, then launched a blast at his enemy.

Reeling from the injury, Goku was caught unaware as the blast ripped into him. With great effort he managed to pry himself off of it before it did any serious harm. As he did so, Vegeta came at him again, and the two clashed all over the heavily cratered canyon.

Vegeta had him heavily outmatched and Goku knew this. The prince toying with him was the only reason he was still moving at all. His fist found Vegeta's face, but the fiend merely smirked, before hitting back with a far more powerful strike that sent Goku crashing to the ground.

"Damn it." Goku muttered as he pulled himself back to his feet. "The gap in our power is only getting bigger, and if I use the Kaioken it still probably won't be enough anyway...this is really bad."

"You don't know the half of it." whispered a voice from behind him. As he turned to strike, Vegeta caught his fist easily. "I could end it all right now. Why not give up clown?

Maybe if you bow before me, I'll spare you're pathetic life. How about it?"

"N-never.." Goku muttered, attempting to punch the prince with his free hand. That too was caught with ease.

"Well, then perhaps I can make you!" Increasing the pressure, he slowly pushed Goku down, till he was nearly on one knee. "Not very proper, but it'll do.

Now, beg for your life fool. Plead, like all the gutless cowards before you did!" the prince said as his face reddened with anger.

"I said no!" Against his better judgement he activated the Kaioken, using the strength to break free from Vegeta. As he was about to charge up an attack, a jolt shot through him, nearly dropping him to the ground. Seizing the chance, Goku's opponent slammed his foot into his unguarded gut roughly. Then with a flick of the wrist Vegeta backhanded Goku, sending him face first into the dirt. He rolled, avoiding several strikes as he did so.

Struggling to his feet, Goku discovered the prince was already right in front of him again. He kicked with all his might, the blow connecting solidly with Vegeta's face. But other than knock his head to the side, the only thing it earned was a vaguely amused snicker.

"Is that the best you've got?", he narrowed his eyes at Goku. "Well, let me show you how it's done!"

With pinpoint precision he struck Goku's upper arm, bone cracking and splintering as the blow connected. With a pained scream, Goku stumbled back. That arm was useless and he knew it. As Vegeta advanced, Goku made like he was going for a kick, but switched it up at the end. Instead, he dealt a swift jab to the shorter fighters throat, causing garbled hiss to escape from Vegeta's mouth.

Within a second he recovered and sped about, hitting Goku from every conceivable angle. With one last blow, he slammed his knee into the younger mans back, numbing him from the waist down. One more strike sent him crashing onto his back.

"Well this has been fun. I haven't had a fight like this in years, and this will be one to remember. Unfortunately, you've overstayed your welcome in this life. Say goodbye Kakarot!"

/

Tien was dead. Along with Chaoutzu. A shame. He had indeed arrived a bit too late.

Of course, he wouldn't have been strong enough to make a difference anyway. That he had been reminded before he left. His intentions were not to fight though. He had merely wished to watch and observe. Perhaps even get in a sneak attack or two. But that was only a distant thought, something he had considered quite fleeting.

Now though, he could see that he might have to do something after all. The one wielding the sword would never make it in time, not without something else as a distraction. He chucked at the irony of what he was about to do. He stepped towards the edge of the cliff facing, ponytail swaying in the wind.

"Don't think I'm doing this for you Son Goku, because that would be a grave miscalculation on your part. All I know is that he placed value in your life, so the favor is to him, not you." With a single metallic clank, he extended his middle and index fingers and took aim at his intended target.

/

"Super Dodon Ray!'

Vegeta turned around at the shout, only to get smacked full on in the face by a beam of white hot ki. It did little more than singe his cheek, but it enraged him that some imbecile had the nerve to pull such a stunt.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you better come out now before I level this entire section-" his words caught in his throat, as he felt something slice through his armor and into his back.

He looked and saw the fat samurai from earlier. The one Nappa slammed into that mountain.

"You!" he said, eyes nearly popping out of his skull. "Fat bastard, that went clean through my armor!" he winced, knowing that if it had even went a bit deeper that he wouldn't be standing at all.

"D-damn it, that was supposed to kill you!" Yajirobe said as he took several nervous steps backwards.

"What, leaving so soon?" Vegeta said hotly. "We can't have that, the fun has yet to begin!" he lunged forward, dodging several more swipes from the swordsman. _He is good. Too much so to be left alive any longer._

Vegeta caught the blade by the hilt, and drove his fist into the side, snapping it in half like a twig.

"Hey man, that was my best sword, do you have any idea how much that cost me?" The hefty warrior said, smashing Vegeta in the face with a surprise headbutt.

To his astonishment, Vegeta found that the blow actually hurt a little. _That attack, must have took a lot more out of me than I thought. He'll pay!_

Vegeta was on the offensive in an instant, kicking Yajirobe in the face. He crashed into a rock pile a few feet away, with Vegeta promptly landing right on top of him, only to start wailing repeatedly on his face. Of course he held back, not wanting him to die. Not yet. First he had to suffer.

"Stupid. Worthless. Human. Filth." each word was accompanied by another painful strike, til at the end Vegeta stopped and held him up by the front of his tattered robes.

"Well fat ass, got anything to say for yourself now, or is it time for me to end your miserable life?" Vegeta said, frowning. The response he got was pained laughter.

Vegeta was about to laugh himself, thinking that he had knocked something loose in the other man's head. But he caught something reflecting in the eyes of the samurai, and spun around, tossing Yajirobe down as he did so.

As it turned out he had done so at the right time, barely avoiding Yamcha's boot as it smashed into the ground where he had previously been standing.

Vegeta crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled. "Well if it isn't Kakarots little cheerleader squad...so that is what this fat fuck-" he aimed the back of his boot at the swordsman, smashing him across the face and sending him flying several hundred meters away. "-was laughing at. How disappointing."

"Tell me, what do you three even hope to accomplish here?

Your hope and savior is down. I did that to him." Vegeta said, gesturing to Goku with his thumb. "And even together you all couldn't even stand up to Nappa."

Yamcha grinned nervously. "You're wrong about that, friend. Maybe we'd have been useless earlier, but you've lost almost all of your energy since then. Enough that I think we stand a fighting chance." a thin bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. _And yet still so much stronger than any of us._

Vegeta raised his head to the sky, enjoying a hearty laugh. "Please. I can practically smell the terror emanating from you three . Especially you, scar face."

The former bandit clenched his hands together tightly.

_Calm down Yamcha. If you let him get to you like that, we really are done for._

Yamcha glanced to Krillin, before nodding his head. _Yeah, you're right. Like usual. Well, guess this is it. On three._ he said mentally, so that Gohan could hear as well. The boy gulped silently, still a bit afraid to face down the man than beat his father to a pulp.

"Three!"

They split apart, two rushing from the front while Gohan slunk around behind him. Vegeta blocked Krillin with a faint grunt, then backhanded Yamcha away with a closed fist. He felt a sharp pain explode on the back of his head, and found himself falling forwards. Quickly he spun to throw a punch at the half Saiyan, only to have the boy block it through gritted teeth.

"Not bad half breed." Vegeta sneered. "Certainly much stronger than those two friends of yours. Must be your Saiyan side showing, no weakling human would have that much power on their own."

"Shut up!" Gohan yelled, kicking Vegeta backwards. The prince caught himself, using a single arm to keep from crashing into the dirt. He launched himself at Gohan, only for Krillin to catch him across the face with the tip of his boot. The Saiyan blasted Krillin into the ground, but was hit upside the back of his head by Yamcha's elbow.

Then a palm strike from the halfbreed that sent him sprawling. In no time he was back in action, quickly driving his fist into Krillins gut. The force made him hack up a stream of blood, and the next sent him blasting deep into the earth, unconscious.

Gohan's eyes went wide. "Krillin!"

Yamcha screamed, channeling energy into his hands. "Hey asshole, this one is for Tien! Dodon...Kamehameha!"

A thin beam shot out, blue in the center and golden white on the fringes. Vegeta smirked as he prepared to sidestep it, only for it to expand many times over a few feet in front of him.

"How the hell?" he struggled to hold the beam off, to no avail. It started pushing him further and further back, till his back was against the side of a cliff facing.

"No, I will not be beaten like this! Not by some third rate fighter like you, haaaaaaaa!" he yelled, firing enough energy into Yamcha's attack to push it backwards momentary. With a quick leap, he took to the air, but was knocked out of the sky by the attack exploding only a few meters behind him.

As the dust cleared, Yamcha slowly crept over to his downed opponent. Krillin had woken up, and was limping over to join him.

"So, you think he's out for good this time?" the monk questioned, knowing that Vegeta was if nothing else, still alive.

"I sure hope so..." Yamcha rolled Vegeta over with a rough kick to the mid section. "Yeah, not so tough now are ya pal?

Bet you won't ever try and mess with us ever again-" he stopped when Vegeta's eye snapped open. "You have got to be kidding me..."

Vegeta did a quick flip, landing on both feet. "Afraid not, pathetic little worm." he said, still out of breath. "But you, you won't live long enough for it to matter."

He phased out of sight, and kicked Yamcha hard in the side of the head. Krillin was about to help, but before he could move Vegeta was already holding a glowing hand inches from his face. "Sayonara!"

A stream of violet ki erupted from his palm, blasting the hapless monk several hundred feet away, where he landed in a heap. Not dead, but very much out of the fight.

A burst of power caught the princes attention. "You, you hurt them...you hurt my daddy. I'll make you pay for that!"

A smirk formed on his face when he saw the boy charge him. With a single hand he caught the first punch, surprised that it had so much power behind it. Another one flew out, nailing him square in the jaw.

With a grunt Vegeta kicked Gohan in the chest, sending him flying up into the air. "Pretty impressive kid. But as strong as you are, I don't think you've got the skill to win this."

The flame haired Saiyan sped towards his target, only for Gohan to side step the blow. Impressed, Vegeta redoubled his efforts.

For the next few minutes they kept it up, exchanging a flurry of punches and kicks. Every now and then an explosion would go off, the tell tale sign of an energy attack that missed it's mark.

Gohan was putting out enough power to rival the prince, but the difference in skill was apparent almost instantly. Vegeta grinned, as he finally broke through the demi-Saiyans defenses with a roundhouse kick. Struggling to breath, Gohan began putting everything he had left into one attack.

"It's all or nothing now...Hellfire...Kamehameha!"

A torrent of blue energy surrounded by tendrils of fire shot forth from his hands. Vegeta felt the heat from the blast, as his own heart began racing faster than ever. _That...that isn't a normal attack, h-how did he do that?_

The arrogant Saiyan knew that he would never be able to take that attack head on. Not like he was. And it was moving much to fast to dodge. He did the only thing he knew to do, and fired the most concentrated stream of energy he could at the attacks center. Flames licked the tip of his attack, and for a moment he was afraid that they might race down the length of his beam and engulf him anyway.

But after nearly a minute, he could see that his plan was working. With a roar his attack pierced through that of Gohan's, splitting it clean down the middle and rushing towards the boy, who ducked down in time for the energy to pass over him. On either side the remnants of the fiery attack exploded, the heat and force nearly enough to nearly make him pass out. For a moment he stood in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Shock turned to anger, not only at the half Saiyan, but at himself for his own fear.

His energy was low, and he knew everything attack from here on had to count. Shifting his weight, he kicked off with a loud crack. Gohan forced himself to assume a fighting stance, but was still unprepared for the onslaught heading his way. A knee to the cheek sent him spinning, and the blast that hit his back nearly made him faint on the spot. Once, he managed to sweep the prince's legs out, and nail him in the chest, but that was it. The next strike Vegeta blocked, before delivering a powerful chop to the side of his head.

With that he fell to the ground, un-moving and barely conscious. Vegeta frowned. "If you value your life you'll stay down. I find the slaughter of children to be distasteful, so I'd rather not end your life. Should you get up and continue to prove yourself a threat, I will be left with no choice."

The boy coughed, thin drops of blood spilling out between his lips. The fight was over, but he couldn't let everyone down. Using all the willpower he could muster, he forced his legs to cooperate. Energy crackled faintly, fizzling in and out of sight periodically.

"Foolish brat." The prince scoffed. "So be it then, say hello to the Namekian for me." A ball of energy formed in his hand, much more solid and potent than the one the boy was attempting to conjure.

Crashing to one knee, a few tears slipped from Gohan's eyes as the ki he was gathering dissipated. He saw Vegeta's face soften, and the prince appeared to mouth an apology. The look was gone in an instant, replaced by one as feral and fierce as ever. Yet he still held himself back from firing the blast.

But then the boy felt something else.

"Masenko times two!" A dark red beam crashed into Vegeta's back, blasting the prince over a hundred feet away before dissipating.

Gohan looked, and saw his father standing with his hands outstretched in front of him, putting on a decent imitation of Piccolo. Red energy crackled and flickered around him for a moment, before he collapsed.

"Dad!" forgetting his prior exaustion, the half Saiyan sprinted over to where his father was.

Goku laughed with a pained expression. "Ow, man that hurts. Can't even laugh right now..." he tried to move his arm towards his child, but the waves of pain that shot though him nearly made him cry out in agony.

Gohan was about to try and throw him over his shoulder, when he heard something from a ways off. Vegeta was still alive, and attempting to roll over. The back part of his armor was completely gone, with his burnt and bloody back plainly visible. He managed to pull out a remote, and pressed a short sequence of buttons.

A few seconds passed, and his space pod gently touched down a few feet away. With a hiss, the door opened and Vegeta slowly started crawling towards it.

"I don't think so." Krillin landed in front of the prince, gi shredded bu still alive. In his hand was the broken blade of Yajirobes sword. "Thanks to you three of my best friends are dead. If you think I'm just gonna let you get away with that, you've got another thing coming."

Vegeta rolled onto his back, propping himself against the space pod. "Is that so baldy? That would be the smart thing to do wouldn't it...so go on. Do it, make me answer for my crimes!"

The monk clenched the blade, feeling the sting as it cut into his own hand. He stabbed downward toward the Saiyan's throat, but was stopped by a shout.

"Krillin please, stop it!" Shockingly, it was none other than Gohan who said that. "Haven't...haven't enough people died today? I know he's not a good person, but he doesn't seem evil to me...just-just confused.

Mister Piccolo started off bad too, my dad told me that...but he changed. Maybe," Gohan pointed to the fallen prince. "Maybe he can to, if we give him a chance..."

Krillin found his resolve faltering, and his rage at the Saiyan ebbing away. The boy was too much like his father it seemed. "But...I...is it really wise to let him live? What if he comes back later and tries to kill us all?"

Goku coughed weakly, doing his best to turn his head towards his son and friend. "Listen to my son, Krillin. I know Vegeta has done terrible things, but I can tell that he has a lot of good buried underneath all that anger and hate. I don't think he will try the same thing again, but if he does come back later for revenge, we'll deal with it then. It wouldn't be fair though, to strike him down now. I think he deserves that much."

In truth, Goku was milling over a lot of things. Stuff that King Kai had told him about the prince, that he had forgotten till now. He turned, managing to make eye contact with the other Saiyan. "I...I know I'm taking a risk by doing this, but something is telling me it's the right thing to do. Besides," he gave a goofy smirk. "I really want to fight you again someday, and the other guy too. Hopefully the stakes won't be so high next time."

Vegeta scowled, finding that to be painful even. "Naive fool. Sparing my life. As if I were some damn, helpless child!" he clenched his fist, allowing a faint smile to appear in spite of the humiliation. "But we do have one thing in common though Kakarot, I do look forward to the day we meet again. That will be the day that I put you in your place once, and for all."

He climbed into his pod, slowly. The pain was nearly unbearable, but all he had to do was press a few buttons and it would all go away.

"V-Vegeta.."

The prince turned, giving Goku an displeased expression.

"Thank you, for not killing my son..."

Vegeta merely closed his good eye, right as the pod door slammed shut. In under ten seconds, it and it's cargo were already nearly half way across the solar system.

"Goku, I sure hope you knew what you were doing with that one. And, what did you mean by 'not killing' your son, cause it sure didn't look like he was being all that merciful to me." Yamcha said, with Krillin nodding along with him.

"I'll tell you later Yamcha." he tried to move, but that proved impossible. "Wow, guess fighting him and using the Kaioken like that really took a lot out of me...you all wouldn't happen to have a few Senzu beans lying around would you?"

They all shook their heads.

...

Not long after, Bulma, Chi Chi and the others arrived. It was considered a miracle that no one sans Goku was severely injured. Not even Gohan, who had bore the brunt of Vegeta's assault suffered anything worse than a few cracked ribs.

Goku though was a different story. Nearly all his ribs were broken, and his spine had been nearly broken. The bone in his right arm was broken in several places, but luckily the doctors at the hospital were able to set it in time.

The worst of it stemmed from his abuse of the Kaioken. Most of the muscles in his body were damaged horribly, to the point that the staff were shocked that he was even still alive.

At the very moment, most of his friends were out in the waiting from, sitting anxiously as they waited for the lead practitioner to return with the prognosis.

Finally he stepped out, still wearing gloves. He was a middle aged man of average height, with short grey hair. "Well, your boy Son Goku is going to be just fine. How he got all those injuries though is baffling, along with the fact that they didn't kill him outright." The doctor didn't believe the car crash story for an instant. He had been in the audience back at the last martial arts tournament, and had seen first hand, the battle between his patient and Ma Junior. But he wasn't about to let that bit slip to anyone. _Doctor patient confidentiality._

"So, my husband is going to be okay doctor? We just got him back, and I'm afraid I'll lose him again." Chi Chi said with red rimmed eyes. Many a sleepless night had passed for her during the past year, even with the comfort of knowing that he would be brought back.

"Yep. I expect that he'll definitely make a full recovery. How long that'll take is the real question. From what we've observed, his bodies rate of repair is utterly unprecedented, but event taking that into account, I'd give him at least a month or so before he's completely back to normal. With any luck though, he'll be able to be released in about a week to ten days." _Or perhaps sooner. The rate that man is going, there won't be enough food to last the other patients if he stays any longer._

Back in the room, Goku was confined to his bed. One arm was in a cast, with a back brace restricting his mobility. Not that he felt much like moving anyway. Every part of his body felt like it was on fire, and that was after all the pain medications he'd been given. The bandages covering him head to toe would probably make walking impossible anyway. Thankfully the nurse had told him, those would come off in a few days.

Just starting to doze, he nearly leaped up in fright when a voice spoke up in his head.

_"Congratulations on the battle, Goku." _

"Umm, thanks King Kai." Goku said in surprise. He hadn't been expecting the god to contact him so soon. Then again, if it had anything to do with what he thought it did...

_"I'll get to that in a second." _the deity chortled, causing a bead of sweat to drip from Goku's eyebrow.

_"But tell me something. I'm aware of your training with Kami regarding your ape form, but I know for a fact that you never transformed on my planet. So why did you tell Vegeta that you could do the Kaioken as an Oozaru?" _

Goku laughed. "Haha, yeah I'm pretty proud of that one. See, I can control myself when I do transform, but not very well. And I honestly have no idea what would happen if I tried the Kaioken like that."

_"Meaning?"_ King Kai said with a flat tone.

"I bluffed him." Goku heard the sound of a person falling over. After a moment King Kai was back.

_"Well, now that you've gotten that monkey business out of your system..." _The Lord of Worlds said, stopping for a moment to laugh to himself. _"Then perhaps you would like to hear some good news. As it turns out, Vegeta was right about the Dragonballs on Namek. I told you about that, Piccolo and Kami's home planet, right?"_

"Yeah, I remember that."

King Kai coughed._ "Yes. That is the first bit of good news, you can use those to wish back Piccolo. That will bring Kami back, and you can then use the those Dragonballs to bring back Tienshinhan and Chaoutzu." _

Goku gave an excited shout. "That is awesome. Did you ask them, the Namekians I mean, whether or not it would be okay for us to use their balls to do that?"

Raucous laughter came from the other end, prompting Goku to huff indignantly. After several minutes it finally died down enough for Goku to actually get a word in. "You know, I really don't see what was so funny about my question."

The Kaio stifled his laughter as much as possible._ "Goku. Remember that conversation we had, regarding innuendo and whatnot...think back to it and you'll figure it out." _

Goku thought about it for a moment. His face then flushed, and he gave a nervous chuckle.

_"Back to the point, now that I've recovered from that one. I haven't been able to contact the Namekians, unfortunately. Something has been interfering with the signal out in that part of space. I can confirm that the planet and it's inhabitants are alive and well however. Probably a magnetic storm passing through, those can interrupt my powers from time to time, so I doubt it's anything to be overly concerned with. You all will want to leave as soon as possible though, so I'll send Bulma the planets coordinates in a few minutes." _He paused briefly._ "Now, before I forget, I thought I'd let you know that Piccolo and the others are making great progress on Snake Way. I'd wager that within a week they'll arrive on my planet."_

"Only a week, wow!" Goku exclaimed. "Took me a lot longer than that when I died.."

_"Don't forget, they are all much stronger than you were when you died. I plan on training them all just as I did you, so don't worry. They'll have a blast. Think I'll try and contact them, remind them not to hitch any rides from any road cleaners. Don't want them being delayed like you were..."_

"Hey, I got to meet some great people because of that!"

...

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Goku (Kamehameha with KaiokenX3): 31,740

Vegeta (Galic Gun): 31,750

Goku (KKX3, losing power): 31,000 and falling.

Goku (Weakened, KaiokenX4+Kamehameha): 36,980

Goku (Exhausted from beam struggle): 6,800 falling to 4,800 (Kaioken): 10,200 falling to 7,200

Vegeta (Seriously wounded and fatigued): 8,900 (Falling to 7,000)

Goku (Kaioken over use): 2,500

Vegeta (Post sword strike): 5,300 (After fighting Gohan): 3,800

Krillin: 3,670

Yamcha: 3,060

Gohan: 4,105 (Angry): 4,600 (Hell-Fire Kamehameha): 5,400 (Drained of energy): 2,000

Goku (MasenkoX2): 5,050

? (Super Dodon Ray): 650


	13. Adventure of a Lifetime

A/N: And here we are again. Right around the 4th, oddly punctual for me. Any who, I think I got most of the bugs out of this chapter. Thinking the next one will be towards the end of the month. Not sure on a definitive date though.

Ultimate Black Ace: Quite so. I am trying to change a lot of things, or at least greatly expand upon the things we weren't shown directly in canon. Of course, things have already diverged, and will do so more as I go on through the Namek Saga. As for that being Tao, well you could well be on to something with that.

super mystic gohan: To correct you slightly, Mercenary Tao is the more accurate term. After all, he was never an actual part of the RRA. Just a hired, contract killer. I won't confirm if it was him, but the answer is in front of you. I do have plans for the character. As you can see from what little I've done, I am expanding and adding more depth and development to his personality. A bit hard to figure out the rest, but the answer is maybe.

Orchamus: Thanks. That attack came to me almost spur of the moment, but it makes sense. A natural extension of the fire wielding abilities he displayed in prior chapters.

KGF: Thanks as usual lol.

Plasmic: Already responded via PM. Considering doing this exclusively in the future. Tell you what, in your reviews, tell me what you think. Should I respond to reviews directly, or via Authors Notes.

Here is the chapter. Don't forget to R&R, tell me exactly what you think.

* * *

><p>Everyone in the room was talking about the upcoming adventure in some shape or form. King Kai had just given Bulma the coordinates to Namek, freaking her out by popping into her head out of nowhere.<p>

As she did some calculations on a small handheld device, her eyes went wide and her shoulders sank.

"What is it Bulma, good news?" Krillin said hopefully.

She shook her head. "No. I figured out where Namek was, relative to the Earth. But there is a small problem. Even with the fastest ships we have, it would still take over five thousand years to reach it. And that isn't even factoring in other issues, like fuel, or shielding from debris and magnetic storms. Sorry guys, but this is looking really hopeless."

_"Well. I wouldn't say that." _Everyone turned to the window, where Mr. Popo was standing outside on his magic carpet.

"W-wha?" Bulma shrieked. "Who is that, and what is he doing."

The genie spoke up before anyone else could. "I'm Mister Popo. I live on the lookout with Kami, or at least until he passed. " sadness crossed the dijns expression briefly. "I tend to a great many things up there, and I've helped train Goku when he first arrived. And the others, as they were preparing for the Saiyan threat."

"Okay, so what did you mean by what you said a minute ago?" Bulma said, beginning to get over her apprehension of Mr. Popo.

"As you all know, neither Kami or Piccolo are of this world. For a long time it has been lost, but Popo has finally done it. I have found Kami's ship, the very one he came to Earth in as a small boy."

"Mister Popo would love to help you, so that Kami can be brought back as soon as possible. It is very lonely up there with no one to talk to." he said.

"Hey babe, I really think you should go check this out." Yamcha said, grinning like a fool.

The scientist's face went pale. "Me!?

Why on earth would you volunteer me of all people to go with him?"

"Well, you're the only one of us that knows much about that sort of stuff. I mean, you figured out that weird transmitter thing that Piccolo picked off of that Raditz guy's body." Yamcha said knowingly. "You're a genius, if you can't figure out how that thing works none of us have a prayer."

On impulse she leaned forward, kissing him briefly on the lips. Krillin whistled loudly whilst Gohan made a gagging noise.

"You know what, you're right. I am the woman for the job." she said, winking at the former bandit.

Yamcha just stood in a stupor, not quite comprehending what just happened. "So, does this mean that we're back together?"

The blue haired woman gave an exasperated look. "What else did you think that kiss meant?"

Shifting gears, she walked over to the window, still a bit unsure of the whole thing. "So, guess I'm off. Umm, how exactly is this supposed to work exactly?"

Mr. Popo laughed gently. "Just step onto the carpet. Don't worry, Popo won't let anything happen."

Bulma reluctantly took the Dijns outstretched hand, gingerly stepping out on to the floating rug. "Well, wish me luck guys!"

For a couple seconds they floated, then their image flickered before vanishing entirely.

...

He laughed. An high pitched, raspy sound. "Well then, it seems my dear little prince and that oaf were forced to turn tail. Amusing if nothing else."

Zarbon cracked a smirk, before brushing a green strand of hair from in front of his face. "I take it that is good news, lord Frieza?"

"More than that. Not only were they thoroughly thrashed, but I garnered that one piece of information that I've been yearning for." Frieza grinned triumphantly.

"Recall this. Not too long ago, that unkempt ape, Radish I think his name was...not that it matters really. But he was killed in a scuffle with some of the natives of that third rate dirt ball. Though natives is bit of a misnomer, as one was a Namekian. And the other, the third class brother of that long haired reject. That little monkey joined his brother in death mere moments later.

Oddly enough, we managed to record some sort of disturbance on the planet just a few short cycles before Vegeta's arrival. Then, to my surprise, they encountered the very same simian that was confirmed to have died previously. Of course, and most unfortunately the Namekian was killed. Tragic I know, but there is a silver lining in all this. That confirms that those Dragonballs are more than mere myth and superstition. Enough so that I think we need to pay a visit to the Nameks homeworld."

"And when, if I might ask, are we to depart your excellency?"

The lizard closed his eyes as his grin faded. "Immediately!"

...

Chi Chi wrung her hands together, trying to use that as a relief for the frustration she was feeling.

"You know I don't approve of this Gohan. First the fight on earth, and now you want to run off into the middle of Kami know where space, and going up against whatever is out there...you really are your fathers son."

The demi Saiyan looked down at the ground, hesitant to make eye contact. Facing down two hostile aliens was scary, but his mothers wrath might be able to trump even that.

"It's not just that mom. Piccolo, he was my best friend. He trained me along with dad, and I spent so much time with him the past year. And, he gave his life, for me. Somehow I feel like it it's kind of my fault in a way." tears stream from his eyes, flowing freely down his cheeks. "You don't hate him still, do you mom? He isn't a bad guy, he really isn't..."

She wrapped her son into a tender embrace, running her hands through his shoulder length hair. "No sweetie, I don't. I used to, a long time ago, but I've come to realize that he really did have your best interest at heart. Even if he was rough around the edges, he was a good man." A few drops of moisture formed in her eyes, but with Gohan's face buried in her shoulder there was no way for him to see those. Which was good in her mind. She had to be strong as well.

"My gut keeps telling me not to do it, that I shouldn't let you go, but my heart says otherwise. Besides, I know you'd figure out a way to sneak off even if I tried to stop you. But you stay away from any mean aliens, you hear me?"

He raised his head up, rubbing the tears from his eyes as he nodded.

"Good, that's by boy. Just because I'm letting you go doesn't mean I'm letting you slack of completely on your studies. But you have the worlds best tutor going right along with you, and I don't mean Yamcha or Krillin." she laughed at the thought of either of those two attempting anything regarding academics.

"First things first, that hair has to go. Can't let you go out in space looking like that."

"Mom, really?" Gohan said, laughing as he rubbed the back of his head in the typical fashion.

...

"Wow, I take back everything I said, this thing is amazing!" exclaimed Bulma as she stared in awe at the spacecraft.

She wrapped her arms close to her body, the frigid winds chilling her to the bone. "B-but it sure i-i-is freezing here. Could't K-Kami have picked a b-better spot?" she said, breath plainly visible.

Clenching her teeth, Bulma looked to her companion, who seemed entirely unaffected by the polar climate. "So how are w-we supposed to get this thing to open?"

The genie smiled. "Oh, it's quite easy. Kami told me about it, this is the word. Piccolo!"

There was a faint scraping noise as the door lurched open, probably for the first time in centuries. She expected to see layers upon layers of dust and cobwebs, but strangely there was nothing of the sort to be found.

"That is because it was completely airtight." Mr. Popo said, making Bulma jump yet again.

"I wish you would stop doing that mind reading crap!" she screeched. Her anger was forgotten, as they walked up the doorway and into the central room. "This thing really is something else, and it's so much warmer than outside. Good insulation." right away she set off, examining as much as possible without directly touching any of the instruments.

"Spectacular. We could learn so much from this thing, do you...I don't know, happen to know the command to make it take off?"

Mr. Popo smiled, before saying something in the Namekian language, or what Bulma presumed to be Namekian. In an instant, they were off the planet and shooting through space. In under a minute, it came to a halt, and she nearly screamed upon glancing out the window. Both from fear and excitement.

"Oh my...that...that's Jupiter. We'd have to be going dozens of times the speed of light for that to be possible. Yet I barely felt anything when we accelerated...incredible. All it needs is some work, and some time spent studying the engine schematics, and I bet I could have it running better than ever in a couple of weeks.

My father might even be able to help me build a duplicate as well."

...

Piccolo looked at the small planet looking in the distance, then back to his two companions. He wasn't sure on the time spent, but figured it at least a week since they had died. It had been annoying to fly at a slower pace to accommodate the weaker fighters, but it was better than going alone. Tien was a lot like himself in many respects, and kept to himself for most of the journey.

The clown, while talkative, was something he had already gotten used to during the training for the Saiyans. So even his presence was tolerable.

"Not all that much to look at, is it?" the Namekian said, as he saw how small the world was.

Tien nodded his head. "Indeed. But for a single person, that is a pretty good chunk of land. Well, guess we ought to go down there. Don't want this trip to have been a waste."

Piccolo grunted a response, before the three began their descent towards the planets surface. The increased gravity was noted right away, though Tien and Piccolo were having very little trouble moving around. Even Chaoutzu wasn't having a terrible time of it.

"Good thing we died without our weighted gear, huh?

Otherwise we might be having some trouble right about now." Tien said, wiping a small bead of sweat away.

A throaty chuckle made them all jump into a defensive stance. "Careful boys, don't want to give me any ideas like that. Just ask Goku with that one." King Kai let loose another laugh, before raising an eyebrow at the three. "Easy there, I'm not going to do anything. In fact, I'm the one you've come to receive training from. I'm the Kaio of the North Quadrant. King Kai for short."

He held out his hand, only to receive puzzled stares from all. _Tough crowd..._

"Anywho, I'm going to tell you all the same thing I told Goku. This will be a two part test. The first part, that's really easy. All you have to do...is make me laugh." he adjusted his glasses while observing their responses.

"You, your kidding right?" Piccolo said. "I don't care how good your training is, but if you think that we are going to waste our time with such nonsense, you're out of your damn mind."

He fell flat on his face when he saw the other two, talking privately to themselves. They were actually taking this seriously. "I really am surrounded by morons!"

Piccolo took a deep breath, then watched as they proceeded to tell whatever joke it was supposed to be. Obviously he heard it, with his keen hearing, but it did little to amuse the green man. But he had a feeling that there was no other way he was going to get the training, so the former green man decided to swallow his pride, and dig deep into the recesses of his mind for something resembling humor.

If he was going to degrade himself in such a manner, at least it would have actual thought put into it. He smirked when the portly deity walked over to him.

"Well, you know the conditions Piccolo. Come on, hit me with your best shot!"

Piccolo flexed his hand, and considered taking the god up on his offer literally. "Fine. I'm not normally a funny person, so you should count your blessings that I'm stooping so low for this."

King Kai nearly lost it right there, but contained himself. After all, he wanted to hear the real joke.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes. "Our bodies are about two thirds water, which makes us this close to drowning." he held his thumb and index fingers about half an inch apart to indicate the meaning. After that, he materialized a glass full of water in his right hand. He smirked at the Kaio. "I like to live life on the edge." he drank the contents in one quick gulp.

For a moment he simply stared a Piccolo, mouth slightly agape. Then, slowly, he started chuckling. Seconds later, he was rolling on the ground in hysterics, clutching at his gut.

When he managed to stand, he slowly wiped the tears from his eyes, laughing softly to himself. "That was great, surprising for such a stoic guy. The live life on the edge bit really got me, cause you're not even alive right now!" he lost himself to another fit.

Piccolo felt a drop of sweat trickle down by his ear. _And he completely missed the context. Still worked out..I guess._

"It most certainly did." the overseer said, prompting a glare from the Namekian. "Now, all of you." he coughed, as the others directed their attention to him. "The second part of my test. I'm sure you will all enjoy this, especially you Piccolo. I want you all to fight me, three on one. If you can last seven minutes, you pass."

"Finally. Payback for those stupid jokes." Piccolo said, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm not so sure it'll be so easy." Tien had already sensed what the former demon had missed. But in a flash, a blue aura came up around the North Kai.

Piccolo swallowed, giving Tien a quick look of understanding. He turned, not wanting to lose face in front of the Kaio. "Bring it on you overgrown catfish, we'll see just what you can do."

...

"Well Goku, it's great to have to home again. But no training until you're completely healed." Chi Chi said firmly. "Don't worry though, I'll do my best to train Gohan till you're able to move around again. If I can even keep up with him now...our boy has gotten so strong."

He nodded. Only a few hours ago had he been released from the hospital. His arm was still in a sling, but the back brace and most of the bandages were long gone. Still hurt to do much more than walk, so even a man as obsessed as he was with fighting knew better than to push his body. _I'll give it another week or so._

"Speaking of training, Piccolo and the others will probably be at King Kai's planet soon. I wonder how everything's going for them." he tapped the bottom of his chin, trying to imagine it.

...

With a sharp crack, Piccolo was flung back and straight into Tien, knocking the two of them to the ground instantly. The Namekian groaned, struggling to sit up.

King Kai pulled out a stopwatch, "Very good fellas. Eleven minutes and six seconds. We'll move on to the actual training in a few hours. First, you need the rest."

Tien managed to stand, before stumbling off to dig Chaoutzu out of a crater.

Piccolo rubbed his temple, looking the god in the eyes. "Incredible...easily as strong as that Saiyan that killed me. How does someone like you have that much power?"

"Trade secret I'm afraid." he said, before chuckling. "But seriously, I am a god. A minor one, but you should have expected as much from someone of my station. Funny thing about what you said, since you never even fought him at full power."

Piccolo's eyebrow twitched.

..

Later that same day, Piccolo was meditating against one of the few tree's on the planet, as Tien and Chaoutzu sparred off in the distance.

"You know, that can be done anywhere." King Kai said, referring to what Piccolo was doing. "I was under the impression that you would be doing a bit more than just that, while you were here. Surely you want to know the methods that made Goku so strong, right?"

The Namek huffed, falling out of his typical Lotus position. "If it's anything like your sense of humor, I'd say no." he shook his head at the glare he was getting. "But since it apparently did wonders for that moron, then have at it. I"m game for anything you can dish out."

"I'm glad you said that. Alright, how about we start with something nice and easy. Five thousand finger push ups."

"Tch." Piccolo said, balancing all his weight on one finger before commencing.

The deity chuckled, before spawning five thousand pounds worth of weight around the Namekian. Instantly Piccolo started sweating, and his pace slowed dramatically.

"Try and make a good impression. And not literally, I really don't want to get my crowbar and pry you out of a Namekian shaped hole in the ground." he laughed to himself.

A good three hours later Piccolo collapsed on the ground, having completed the workout.

...

"All right, going to take this slow. Nice and easy." Goku took a deep breath, feeling invigorated by the brisk morning air. He did a few stretches, then rushed forward, chopping a small tree clean in two with a single strike. Before it hit the ground he flew up and around it in a spiral shaped pattern, slicing it into neat little chunks.

Focusing as much energy as he dared, he willed the dismembered pieces to float in the air. Sweat already dripping down his neck, he implanted enough ki into each to make everyone like a guided missile. With him as the target. Every time one got close, he would lash out either with a fist or blast. After a good five minutes he had succeeded in destroying all his targets. Yet he felt tired, lightheaded even. Far more than he should have.

Goku started swaying, struggling to even stand. "I don't feel so good..." were his last words, as he crashed unceremoniously to the ground.

Hours later, he awoke in his bed. And much like after the battle, his body felt as if every part of his was on fire. His face went pale when he saw his wife sitting across from him in a chair, dozing herself. But when she saw that he was awake, her eyes snapped open in a flash. Faster than he could perceive in his weakened state, she was right there, practically leaning into his face.

"You promised me you would take it easy. For me not to worry." her voice was raised, but only slightly. But tears were threatening to form in her eyes, making her look far more vulnerable than Goku was used to seeing her as. It made him feel very small quite suddenly. "We only just brought you back, to fight in another battle, risking death again. Imagine how I and your son felt, when you took off to train just now.

Your energy was so low we couldn't even sense it anymore. If we hadn't already sensed exactly where you were, who knows when we would have found you. Or what could have happened before we did."

Goku pulled her close, gently running his hand through her hair. "Chi, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I was doing...I really thought I was okay. And now I've hurt you again."

"Listen." she said, managing to squirm out of her husbands arms. "You might be a hero, someone who always tries to look out for everyone, but you're not perfect. I knew what I was getting into when I married you, and I haven't regretted that decision. Not once. And I know you will always be throwing yourself in harms way to protect everyone else. But please, just make sure you think about Gohan and I before doing something as reckless as what you did, ever again."

He nodded. "I'll do my best."

Ch Chi stood up, hand on her hip. "And you better make sure Gohan stays safe. I know he is already taking a lot after you, so you make sure to keep him as far from danger as possible, you hear me?" she cracked her knuckles playfully.

"Of course, you know I'd never let anything happen to him."

...

Two weeks passed in a flash, and Bulma had managed to get Kami's ship in proper order to make the trip. Better still, she had even added a small section for Gohan and Krillin to train in. Goku wasn't in any condition to make the trip though. As it was, he could barely even walk, much less handle anything else. Fortunately for him, Korin would have a new batch of Senzu beans ready in about a weeks time.

Too late for him to make the trip with Gohan and the others, but Bulma had already completed plans for a new ship. Her father was working out the final kinks, and it was due to be space ready in short order as well.

Right now he and Chi Chi were about to see them off. True to her word, she had made Gohan cut his hair. Instead of handing down past his shoulders, it barely made it to his ears. Spiked though, so that it looked like a slightly longer version of his fathers hair.

After a few tearful goodbyes, they were off.

...

A lone saiyan pod sped through the depths of space. It's destination was Frieza Planet #109.

The stasis unit went offline exactly as it should have, with only minutes remaining till landing. Already it was rapidly decelerating, barely even moving at light speed. Durable as they were, no craft could survive impact at such speeds.

Prince Vegeta woke up, opening his eyes in a groggy stupor. Already visions were coming back to him, of the battle. And his humiliating loss. He didn't feel any particular animosity to any of the humans, or even the half Saiyan brat. When he was able, they would get a sound beating though for the parts they each played in wounding him and his pride.

Most of his anger and frustration was aimed at Kakarot. A third class that rose up in the ranks, to the point the clown actually posed a threat to the strongest remaining Saiyan. Himself.

Vegeta let out a pained laugh. Once his wounds were healed, he would head to Namek and get his wish. then, he would crush that insolent traitor under his heel. The only real question was, to kill or not to kill?

Well, plenty of time to make up his mind when the time came. His pod came to a halt in the landing area, causing the entire power system to flicker. Every bone felt as if it was rattled by the sharp jolt, making him wince slightly.

With a his the door slid open, and he clenched his bloody fist. "J-just you wait. Kakarot, you will rue the day..." he leaned forward, only to collapse in a heap right in front of the ship.

Several alien doctors and techs surrounded him, and before he knew it, he was welcomed back into the blissful realm of unconsciousness.

It had to have been several hours later that he was jarred from his slumber by a loud incessant beeping noise. Which meant only one thing. He was back to his peak.

"Now where..." his eyes immediately caught onto something else. Nappa was still in the nearby healing tank. "What the hell? Why isn't he healed yet!"

Vegeta nearly punched a hole through one of the walls, but begrudgingly refrained. Everything about the situation perplexed him. "Kakarot gave him a hell of a beating, to be sure. But my injuries were far worse, and I'm still done before him. And that isn't even considering that he would have been here hours before."

The prince's eyes flicked back to his compatriot, and a torrent of rage threatened to consume him. Kakarot pummeled him, probably breaking many bones, but that was it. Yet the tell tale burn marks on his back, extending all the way around to his ribs, told of another story. Someone had done something after he landed. Possibly after he was initially healed.

"Someone certainly has a lot of balls to try and get the drop on Nappa like that." Rage gave way to a sense of calm. "Oh but they will pay once he is healed. Whoever it was was sloppy, and forgot to make sure the job was finished. Knowing him, he will enjoy picking them apart for it too."

Vegeta began laughing. This was actually a blessing of sorts. The fight with Kakarot would have no doubt powered him up greatly, but a near death experience on top of it...well the sky was the limit.

All that remained, was to wait. Suppressing the urge to find some entertainment, via the lowly foot soldiers, the prince instead opted to lean against against the wall. A lot was weighing on his mind, though what he found himself thinking of surprised him. Those Earthlings, Kakarot too even could sense energy. That, Vegeta knew could be useful. If he could figure out how. Wearily, the flame haired Saiyan allowed himself to drift into the depths of his mind.

...

"Damn it." Piccolo swore, before digging himself out of a crater. For a moment he wobbled, before an arm shot out to hoist him the all the way to his feet. Piccolo grunted, before swatting the appendage away. Tien merely shook his head, knowing that the Namek well enough to have expected it.

"You didn't have to do that. I was more than fine without your help." then came his trademark sneer.

Tien chuckled. "Funny, from where I was standing it looked as if you were about to collapse. Again."

Piccolo didn't even respond. Instead, he hopped into the air and assumed his lotus position. A very obvious sign that he didn't wish to be further disturbed. It was good that they were getting so much stronger, but the way he lost irked him. It had been nearly three weeks, and King Kai had decided to start teaching them the Kaioken. Or rather, Tien and Chaoutzu.

The match was one on one, and he had been winning. Quite easily. But then that three eyed bastard had to use that cheap trick and increase his power, well beyond even the Namekian's. And he used it so suddenly that there had been no opportunity for a counter. One second he was smashing Tien across the face, the next he saw a flash of red and was eating dirt. In every sense.

His anger passed quickly enough. As soon as he was done meditating, he would confront that wretched Kaio and demand that he teach him that move as well. The annoying catfish had been very coy about the whole thing, and that irked the green skinned fighter to no end. Soon though, he would get to the bottom of the entire situation.

...

In space, it was hard to figure out when to sleep. With the perpetual night, it was nearly impossible to determine what time it actually was. This threw off everyone's rhythm.

Staring out the window, it wasn't even possible to count the stars. At the speed they were moving, they appeared as nothing more than a series of flashing dots and endless white lines. Focusing to long even made one a bit nauseous.

Gohan sighed, it was still better than nothing. Bulma was asleep, and Krillin and Yamcha were busy duking it out in the training room. It wasn't that he had no drive or passion for fighting, but he knew that he didn't have the same drive his father did. Or perhaps that was part of the problem. His dad was supposed to join them, but due to his condition, that didn't happen.

"Why didn't he listen...we told him not to train and he got hurt because of it. Stupid..." The boy instantly regretted those words, knowing that they weren't true. But all the stress he had been under, plus a lack of decent sleep since the battle had taken their collective toll on him.

"Mom, dad, Piccolo...I miss all of you. So much." at least his father would be joining them soon enough. No one was expecting any trouble on Namek. The most worrisome thing was Vegeta turning up again, but that was assuming a lot of different things.

Finally after over an our of staring literally into space, he sat down with his legs crossed. Meditation never came easy to him, but Son Gohan did his best, and began clearing out his mind.

...

Back on Earth, Goku was a bit disappointed. At himself more than anything. His body was healing well on it's own, and he would have been able to go with his son and the others too. But thanks to that stunt he pulled, that did not happen. For a couple days it seemed like he was getting better, but then the pain started getting worse. Keeping his ki at a fixed level was a strain, and it would periodically spike and fall, on a whim irregardless of what he did.

Tomorrow he would at least be able to get a senzu bean. But there had been some difficulties in getting the gravity properly calibrated, so it would be at least another week before he could leave. Doctor Briefs did tell him that thanks to the delay, that he would be able to implement a few of the improvements that Bulma and himself had made to the engine.

Even though he would be departing nearly a month after the others, thanks to the faster engine he would be less than a week behind them. The journey was still going to be long, roughly two and a half months in total. He missed his son, greatly. A whole year passed when he was dead, and yet a few months more still pained him greatly. Perhaps the fact that he had only seen him briefly exacerbated those thoughts and emotions.

He felt a power touch down outside his home, and wondered who it was. His ki sensing, something he normally prided himself on, was a bit off.

With a groan he got up and hobbled to the door, finding Yajirobe standing on the other side.

"Hey Goku. Looks like you're moving around at least. Korin told me to give you this." he took a single bean and flicked it towards the Saiyan, who barely even caught it. "Probably a good thing to, since you really don't look so good."

Goku popped the bean into his mouth, chewing it up before swallowing. Almost immediately his muscles bulged out, all injuries gone. "That great, much better now." he got into a stance, before throwing a few test punches. "Wow, and I feel a lot stronger than before. Almost as strong as the basic Kaioken would have made me. Send Korin my regards, 'kay Yajirobe."

The chunky samurai raised an eyebrow. "Heh, guess no one told you. I don't live up at the lookout any more. Sure, I fly up there from time to time to get some food, and to train. But I got my own place, just outside the city. It's great, and I can even bring home some ladies when-"

Goku held up a hand to stop him in his tracks. "Right...that sounds great, you getting to do do all that. But did I hear you right when you said..fly...as in by yourself?"

Yajirobe rubbed his forehead. "Duh. You really did miss out on a lot, I busted my ass along with the others, training for those damn Saiyans. No offense to you, since you're kinda one of them too and all." he smirked. "Believe me, I've done a lot more than lose a few pounds." with a quick thump on his now smaller gut, Yajirobe quickly jumped into the air, flying around for several minutes before landing with a proud smirk.

"Ha, what'dya think of that?"

"Pretty good. It's unreal how much you've changed. Now that I'm healed, think you might be up for a quick spar?" Now that he was healed, the urge to fight was back in full.

His opposite swallowed hard. "Uhhhh, sure. Why not I suppose...don't know why though, we both know you'll cream me in a heartbeat."

"Nah. I'll hold back, I promise." he took a deep breath, lowering his ki as much as possible.

"I'll hold you to that." with no dramatic show, the samurai let his power flow free, kicking up a powerful wind.

_Damn. He's way stronger than I was before I died. If I had to guess, probably about on level with Raditz. _He shook his head, not wanting to allow himself to get distracted by thoughts of his dead brother.

Just like that, they both shot forward.

...

Piccolo huffed angrily, before charging a blast. "I've had more than enough of this prattling on, all to side step the topic at hand. So if you won't tell me willingly, then perhaps I can use other means." it felt petty to resort to such tactics, but the Namek was well past his boiling point.

All traces of humor evaporated from the Kaio's face. "No...you wouldn't dare. Anything but that!"

"Oh believe me, I would. I'd enjoy every second of your pain." an evil smile appeared on his face. He meant every word.

King Kai waved his arms frantically in front of himself. "All right, all right. I'll explain, just leave my car out of it. That thing cost me a mint."

He grinned even deeper, before allowing the energy to disperse. For a god, he sure had a bizarre obsession for the material. Though Piccolo had to admit, it was a pretty nice car. Not that he would ever really be interested in such things. "Get to it then, before I change my mind."

A few words were said, regarding immaturity and needless violence, though they were uttered so quietly that even with his keen hearing Piccolo had to strain to decipher them. "Okay. I really have been avoiding the issue for too long. The Kaioken is a very potent ability, that much has been made very clear to you."

Snickering, until Piccolo shot him another glare. "But it is also, very particular and unique in what it does to its user's energy. It was originally created for divine usage, for the gods to use to protect the lower realms should the need ever arise. So what I told Goku about it being mine, a bit of a fib. Long ago it fell out of use with the upper echelon of beings. More out of fear of abuse than anything else, I however continued to make use of it. Some tweaks were made on my part, but it's still the same basic thing as it was long ago."

"You, however...are the son of Piccolo Daimao. While a Namekian in body, he was still a demon in soul. That blackened soul corrupted his physical form, to the point of altering it on a genetic level. So while you are a completely separate individual, a part of him is still within you. In a sense, a fragment of your being is, and will forever be, demonic." the words were spoken gravely, and with caution at every turn.

King Kai knew how much Piccolo abhorred his sire, and was paying the utmost attention to every facet of his being. At a seconds notice he could fly into a rage, and the Kaio knew he was the only one that could stop him before things got out of hand.

As it was, it turned out that he hasn't given Piccolo's self control enough credit. While obviously seething with anger, nothing suggested that he was going to go off the deep end.

"So it is true. I was afraid of something like that...from how my senile other half described my origins..." Blood was leaking from a clenched fist. "Get to the point though, on what the hell it all has to do with the situation at hand."

"Yes, of course. It should go without saying that the holy energy of the Kai's, even in such a diluted form, would not mix well with that of the demon. They are completely incompatible on every level...even the tiniest shred of demonic ki is is enough render the use of any heavenly energy impossible. That is why I have refused to teach you, because of what would result. Combined in an individual body, a power struggle of sorts takes place. The darker ki rejects the light, while conversely the light seeks to expunge the dark."

"Combine that struggle with the Kaiokens explosive nature, and the effects are increased over a hundred fold. Even if you were to attempt the basic level, the results would be much like trying to use a hundred times version of the move. You, and probably whatever planet you were on would be nothing but dust. So talk about going out with a bang." he stiffed a chuckle. "There would be no way to control the chain reaction of energy, and I'm afraid that it goes further than death; your very soul would be irreparably lost, doomed to wonder in limbo till fading to nothing."

Piccolo was staring, eyes wide as saucers. Definitely something he had never considered possible.

"That is why I will never so much as explain the basic mechanics. For your sake as much as everyone else...I know how you are, and if things looked bad enough you might be tempted to use something like that as a last ditch resort. Without the knowledge there can be no temptation. And don't bother trying to listen in on what I tell the other two...you're mental abilities are extensive, but you've seen first hand how easy I can bypass them. So keep that in mind if you ever try and get past the blocks I've put in place, to keep you from eavesdropping."

The Namek swallowed, realizing that he had greatly underestimated the Kai's cunning. Never judge a book by it's cover was something that came to mind right away. Despite his seemingly incompetent demeanor, the Kaio was certainly worthy of his station.

"Well, guess I'll just have to train that much harder." the Namekian demon said, as a new determination began to fill him.

...

The time was nearly set for Goku's departure. In a few short hours, he would be bidding his wife and planet farewell. At least for a while. Out in space, his son and friends were waiting. What he hoped was that everything would go smoothly, and that they wouldn't run into any complications. With the way things had been going lately though, the once naive man didn't put much stock in that idea.

Something pricked his senses, as he was standing on the roof of his home. All he had done was come out to get a bit of fresh air, he hadn't been expecting any surprise guests. Before the other even touched down, Goku knew who it was.

"Hey Yajirobe...awfully nice of you to fly all the way out here." the Saiyan pressed a finger against his chin, thinking for a moment. "We could have ourselves another spar before I go...maybe I can convince Chi Chi to join...she has gotten really strong."

When the samurai shook his head, Goku couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"No can do. Bodies still a bit sore from the last time. You really pack a mean right hook." he laughed. "Actually though, there is another reason I'm here. I had the chance to leave with the others...but I didn't. I'll admit it too, I was afraid. Not just of that...Vegetable...Vegeta character, but of what other things that might be crawling around in the universe too.

Every day since I've been kicking myself for it, and now my mind is made up. Like it or not pal, this samurai is coming along with you for the ride. Last thing I want is for everyone to think I was too much of a chicken."

Goku paused, at a bit of loss for words. A lot really had changed in the past year, everyone had grown in some way or another. Some more than others. It pleased him that Yajirobe was stepping up like that. "That is great, but are you really sure you want to? I mean, it could get dangerous...we could run into Vegeta, or like you said, someone stronger. " he pushed back the excitement at facing an even stronger opponent. "You don't have to do this, everyone knows how brave you are."

Yajirobe looked at the ground solemnly. . "It's not just that. We lost two...no, three great people in that battle. All while I was knocked out cold. So...I think I owe it, if not to myself, but them to do everything in my power to help bring them back."

"Then I won't stop you. And come to think of it, having a training partner for the trip would be pretty nice. Maybe I could even teach you the Kaioken along the way."

...

It had been a few weeks since his little, revelation of sorts. Already he had come quite a distance, and was now able to match Tien when the triclops was using the base state of Kaioken. Piccolo felt proud of that fact, his confidence being further bolstered by the knowledge that his power now surpassed that of the brute who killed him.

King Kai told him that he was still no match for Vegeta, but the Namek was determined to change that. That was the great thing about being dead, he supposed. You could push yourself to the absolute limit, wreck your body, and be back to normal in under a day. Which did wonders for gaining power.

When he saw the overseer come running out as if in a panic, the demon couldn't help but wonder what was going on. If it could throw such a being as that into acting like that, then it probably wasn't good news.

...

Goku, meanwhile was busy doing sit ups in the ships gravity room. Initially he had set the gravity to twenty times Earth's level, and had very little problems. But now he had cranked it up to forty five, and found that it offered a much better work out. Yajirobe was sitting in the corner, sweat beading down his face from the effort required to remain sitting.

He had to admit, he was very impressed with the man's determination and resolve. Yajirob'es power had gone up significantly, and he could even use the first level of Kaioken for a few seconds. The rate with which he was learning, and his own raw endurance made Goku himself somewhat envious. The Saiyan had to admit, that he wasn't sure if he could have learned it as easily if he were alive at the time. Of course Yajirobe was struggling, but his progress was amazing given the conditions.

And his appetite, well he was glad to have packed extra food. Out of all his friends, only Yajirobe could give him as run for his money in an eating contest.

It was still going to be a long trip, but at least he wasn't by himself. Traveling alone, in the void of space would be maddening.

A faint buzzing in his head alerted him to something else. "Hey King Kai, what's up?"

Then came the familiar voice, but something wasn't right. The level of anxiety was unnerving. "Remember that disturbance I told you about a while back, that I was sensing over Namek?"

Goku nodded, despite knowing that the god couldn't directly see him. "Yeah I do, what about it?"

"Well, I was wrong on it not being a threat. Dead wrong."

...

_The prince was tapping his foot, anxiously. A few more minutes, and Nappa would be done healing. Then there would be answers. Answers as to who attacked him, and under what orders. Vegeta knew Frieza wouldn't be above such a thing, but if it were him Nappa would haven't been left alive. No, the lizard was never sloppy. Were it any other of his soldiers, the icy tyrant would have had them beaten within an inch of their lives. Gladly But not with a Saiyan._

_Though his power was undeniably ferocious, he it was little secret that he was paranoid. Enough so that he could take no risk of a Saiyan managing to heal from life threatening wounds. For it was common knowledge that their power would increase, often greatly from such injuries._

_That was the reason that he strives to send his little pets off on missions where they would be at little risk. Not so much for their safety, but to keep their power from increasing at too fast a pace. Vegeta knew that he feared the legend, that a Super Saiyan would one day emerge, and strike him down. Of course, it wasn't just that...the Ooozaru transformation was a far more immediate and tangible danger to him. That, Vegeta knew was what he was more afraid of. Simply because it was so much more likely to happen. With the rumors floating around about his true power though, Vegeta doubted that he could defeat the bastard simply by becoming a great ape. If he had the raw power necessary, it would do nothing to counter the speed issue's he would face._

_When the device started beeping, and Nappa's eyes popped open these thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind. Right now, there were other priories._

_"Looks like you've seen better days." Vegeta muttered in a vaguely mocking tone. _

_Rubbing his eyes, the bald brute looked around, still a bit groggy from being in the tank. "Wha-what all happened..did you beat Kakarot?"_

_Angrily he stamped his foot, the force shaking the entire room. "No. Imbecile. I had that insolent moron at my mercy, but fate intervened on his behalf. Exhausted from fighting him, his little cadre managed to severely wound me. All before he blindsided me with a surprise attack."_

_Nappa scratched his head. "So how did you manage to-"_

_"It doesn't matter!" the prince bellowed. Then, more calmly, "That isn't important. What I would like to know, is who or what, managed to put you in such a sorry state. You weren't hurt nearly as bad as I...and I saw the burn marks while you were floating like a helpless unborn. "_

_A baffled expression, then as the memories came back, his face darkened with rage. "Appule. Rotten purple bastard. I had just gotten out of the tank, when he ambushed me. Never gave me a chance to power up, just hit me with this massive bolt of energy. All I remember when I was blacking out was laughter, his and someone else."_

_Electricity began racing around him. "When I get my hands on that little shit, I swear I'll rip him to bloody pieces."_

_His flame haired parted placed an arm on his shoulder. Even with the new power, all it took was one painful squeeze for him to realize that his prince still greatly outclassed him._

_"Calm down Nappa. There will be time for that later. I've also learned something that might be very advantageous. Those primitive little fucks on Earth could sense energy. So I figured if such a pathetic race can do it, someone of my rank and caliber could learn such an ability._

_He heard footsteps, and something faintly tickled his new found sense. A single deep breath through his nose confirmed it was who he thought. "Speaking of pathetic, what the hell do you want Cui?" Vegeta said as he turned to face him._

_"Quite the little stunt you pulled. Stupid apes...you really thought yourselves smarter then master Frieza?" Cui tilted his head back, giving a deep laugh. "One thing you mouth breathers forgot...the scouters are monitored. Every little cryptic signal was cracked. Even as we speak, he is already on his way to Namek. I'm sure you can guess what he desires."_

_The smaller Saiyan growled angrily. With a commanding look, he addressed Nappa. "Go to the main bay, we have to go now. Frieza can't get that wish!" _

_His subordinate acknowledged the order, before charging down the hall. Cui moved as of to stop them, only for Vegeta to shove him aside. "Out of the way fish fuck...and don't you dare think about stopping us." with a look that made shivers shoot up and down the purple aliens spine, the prince took off alongside Nappa. _

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation. For the last hour he had been thinking, of how he would deal with the situation on Namek. Only minutes remained till touchdown, and he sighed. Something blipped on the radar, and he looked outside the ship. They had dropped to under half light speed, and the planet was visible in the distance. But that wasn't what the alarm was for. Another ship was approaching, and would arrive on Namek within minutes of them. It wasn't an attack pod, or a one belonging to Frieza or his family.

"Interesting development Nappa." he said over the comm link. "It seems we have company."

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Goku (Post Zenkai): 14,000

Yajirobe (Departure into space): 2,302

Krillin (*Upon departure into space): 3,703

Yamcha *: 3,126

Gohan: 4,650

Tien (3 weeks training): 4,300 (Kaioken): 6,450

Piccolo (3 weeks training): 5,045

Tien (**1 month seven days training): 5,700 (Kaioken): 8,550

Piccolo**: 8,500

Vegeta: More than 23,000

Nappa: Over 9,000


	14. Of Battles and Conquests

A/N: Back, and right about on time.

All replies will be done, as per my new standard, through PM.

Started on Chapter 15, and on 16 as well.

See the bottom for more details as to what 15 will be. On that note, expect it to be posted by the middle or so of August. Maybe sooner depending on how everything goes.

Don't forget to read and review.

* * *

><p>No sooner than the ship touched down, did Krillin and Yamcha immediately run outside. The past three months had been almost claustrophobic. Everyone was getting a little stir crazy. For the former bandit, being in the open air made most of the tension vanish right away. Especially after all the fights he and Bulma had had on the trip.<p>

Less than a minute after, the blue haired scientist stormed out in a fury. "What the hell were you boneheads doing?"

"Couldn't even wait ten seconds for me to run an analysis on the atmosphere...you could have been crushed by pressure or killed by toxic gases by now." Her face was red from frustration, and her hands shaking.

Krillin took a breath, tentatively.

"But luckily, Namek has almost the exact same composition as Earth. A bit more Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen...but still safe." she was calmer now.

"Sure is pretty neat looking though if you ask me." Yamcha exclaimed.

Bulma muttered to herself. "Too bad nobody did."

"Hey, what was that!" Yamcha scoffed, only for Krillin to throw his arms up between them.

"We just got here guys, so can't everyone just calm down and be civil for a minute." the monk looked at the two, and wearily pinched the place where his nose should have been.

Gohan was looking towards the sky, with an intent look on his face. After a few seconds, both Krillin and Yamcha picked up on the boys apprehension. Then they felt it too.

Yamcha tensed. "Bulma, go back inside the ship. Now!"

"Now hold on a minute, who do you think you are to start ordering me-" Krillin grabbing her arm silenced her right away.

"There are several power levels, pretty strong too...all heading this way. We'll handle it, but you need to protect yourself first."

The Capsule Corp. heiress complied, hastily making her way inside.

A second later, Yamcha was already in the sky, smacking aside a blast that was headed for the ship. "Damn that was close. Bulma owes me big time now." he rubbed his hand, slightly singed from the attack.

With a smug glance, he looked to face the aggressors.

Three of them. Two looked human enough, were it not for for their cat like irises. One had some sort of a gun like attachment on his hand, still smoking from the energy discharge. He was the one that fired the blast Yamcha realized. His eyes flicked to the other humanoid, then to the last and final attacker. Green scaly skin, almost like a giant lizard. Obviously not a Namekian, but definitely the one in charge.

"These aren't Nameks..." it was the oldest looking of the three, flowing white hair swaying in the breeze. "That one there, the kid has a tail. He couldn't be a Saiyan, all them were suppose to be extinct."

Yamcha turned, looking down briefly at Gohan and Krillin. "You guys relax. I got this one."

A raspy laugh came from the lizard man. "Take on all of us? With that pathetic power level?"-"Don't make me laugh. Five hundred, not even half the power of my men here."

"Don't be so sure." with a yell, Yamcha instantly powered up to his maximum and rushed at them. A swift jab to the gut knocked each of them out cold, and down into the water below.

"I'll kill you ya long haired freak!" the reptilian fired a beam, only for Yamcha to kick it high into the sky. When he looked again the man with the scar was nowhere to be seen. Some voice in his head warned him to turn around, and he ducked in time to avoid a knee to the face. A punch was thrown, catching Yamcha underneath his chin.

To the other's surprise, the human barely flinched. With two well placed blows, the commander was in the water with the rest of his men.

Descending to the ground, Yamcha gave a quick thumbs up. "See, piece of cake...wait a second..." Up above them, two pods flew by before crashing into the ground several miles off. "No...damn it not them!"

"Vegeta...and he brought that friend of his..." Krillin muttered.

A few seconds later, a couple more attack ships entered the atmosphere , crashing close to where Vegeta and Nappa landed.

"Gah! What the hell is up with this planet!" exclaimed Yamcha.

...

Not a bad looking planet. At least that was what Nappa thought of Namek. And the air was actually safe to breath, unlike another that they had recently visited. But it was silent, eerily so.

Vegeta sneered, as he looked off into the distance. "Be on guard Nappa. In case you haven't noticed, we are not alone out here."

His taller associate blinked in surprise. "How can you-" he smacked himself on the forehead for forgetting a recent conversation with his prince. Those damn pods and their sleeping gas. "Right, the energy sensing thing. I think I'll hang onto this scouter for a while till I get the hang of it."

A grunt was all Nappa got in response, for Vegeta's attention was elsewhere. "Enough games Cui, you and that other weakling can come out now. I know where you both are."

A gust of wind. "Not bad Veggie, finding us without a scouter. Seems you really did pick up a few tricks while on Earth. Too bad for you that you won't live long enough to make good use of them."

"Is that so, do tell why." the prince said mockingly.

"You've always had a big mouth. Which makes it that much better that I'll be the one to shut you up for good. Frieza has had enough of you, ape. And you know what that means?

It means that I'm finally free do put you out of everyone's misery. Of course, you never stood a chance against me. Remember our last battle?"

A scowl ran across his lips, before the short Saiyan laughed. "Haha, yes I do. You almost killed me, and then Frieza punished you by returning the favor. Unfortunately for you, your species does not get the same benefit from a close brush with death as we Saiyans. And while you've been sitting on your ass, getting that nose of yours well acquainted with Frieza's backside, I've been in constant combat. Growing stronger, and stronger!" a small surge of power served to punctuate his last two words.

"Pah, as if you could challenge me." Cui said, trying to hide his growing unease. With a click, he checked the scouters reading. "Hmmm, 22,200. So much for your so called power up. Barely above my own, which means this fight will come down to skill. Get ready monkey, because this is the end!"

With a loud popping noise he launched himself toward Vegeta. The prince gave a sick little smile, before blocking the first blow with a grunt. "Nappa, you take care of Appule." he kicked, catching Cui in the face and launching the fish face towards the ground. "But be quick, we can't afford anyone else showing up."

Letting out a chuckle, the former general stopped suppressing his energy. Even over the roar of wind his laughter echoed. Once the dust settled, only a few stray bolts of lighting were left in the air. "I'm going to enjoy this way more than I should. Now why don't we see how you do, without any bullshit sneak attacks!"

All Appule could do was stare at the scouter in horror. _19,000...impossible! _he fell to the ground, right under a powerful haymaker. Nappa's next strike caught him in the chest, cracking bone and forcing him to cough up some sort of thick green liquid. Angrily he threw a punch, which was instantly slapped aside. "That all you got? Disappointing."

He punched the purple alien in the face, before phasing behind him. Reacting out of panic, the other managed to turn and score a kick to the side of Nappa's face. Thinking he had somehow gained the advantage, Appule charged up a blast and fired it point blank.

Gradually the smoke cleared, revealing the Saiyan's massive frame. Aside from a few scorched bits of skin, he was free of injury. "What, surprised to see me?"

His fists tightened, and he charged. Several well placed blows later, and Appule barely had any fight left in him. Every bit of power he had was devoted solely to keeping himself from dropping like a rock to the ground below. He closed his eyes for a millisecond, and his opponent was gone. Terrified, he turned right as Nappa appeared behind him.

The big Saiyans mouth opened, releasing a flood of energy. Less than a second before it hit, Appule felt his bladder release. Then a boom, accompanied by a terrible shriek. Even that didn't last, with the fighters charred body quickly falling to the planet's surface.

Almost the exact same time, Cui landed a kick on Vegeta's chest. Moving backwards instinctively, he was able to avoid taking the brunt of the blow's force. Opening his hand, he fired a blast that knocked his opponent back several feet.

Cui was panting heavily, with several pieces of his armor chipped off. Vegeta on the other hand was fine, only a few scuff marks on his face and his chest plate.

"How...our powers are almost identical, so how are you doing that?" the wounded creature sputtered.

"Your degree of reliance on the scouters is sickening." Vegeta leered over at him. "It might give you a raw number, but that number doesn't take into consideration disparities in skill and technique. Of which you are sorely lacking. Now that I've gotten a good measure for how strong you are, I think I'm done holding back."

A nervous laugh. "Yeah right, I'm calling out that bluff."

"I'll show you something far more than a mere bluff. Hyaaa!" veins appeared on Vegeta's forehead and neck as his aura lit up like a giant purple flame.

...

Dodoria kicked the Namekian in the head, instantly snapping his neck.

"There, now do you fully comprehend the mistake you made in defying me?" Frieza said, voice as smooth as silk. But beneath the surface, the intent was clear. Either give over the Dragonball or more would die.

"M-monsters...all of you. Take it, and leave us in peace!" the wrinkled old Namek spat at the tyrant and his men.

A deep chuckle, and the lizard clapped slowly. "Wise choice. Now to think if only you had made that decision earlier. No harm would have come to anyone. A shame really." he gazed dispassionately at several broken and burnt corpses lying on the ground. Something resembling emotion clouded his features, but only for a split second.

"I would ask you where to find the next village, but that would only lead to more lies and disinformation. Besides, my men have already pinpointed a location. Meaning your services aren't going to be required."

A scouter went off, Dodoria's. "Looks like Vegeta is fighting Cui." his eyes got wide a few seconds later. "His power is shooting through the roof..23,000 and rising. Twenty six..." it's screen cracked, and the giant spiked blob ripped if off his face before it could explode. "Holy hell...right at 27,000 when it blew up. That's higher than either of us, Zarbon. That number can't be right."

"Oh Dodoria...how little you know." Frieza mused.

...

Cui's scouter blew up, nearly blinding him in his left eye. More fearful than ever, he took a small step back.

Vegeta meanwhile was quite calm. "I already told you. Now you see why it was a bad idea to follow me here." he crossed his arms over his chest. "All the warning in the world, and yet you ignored all the danger signs."

With the snap of his fingers, he vanished from sigh. Reappearing a couple of feet from his new victim. "On second thought, I'd glad you did. I've contemplated killing you for quite some time, plus after that incident on Earth...I need to blow off some steam."

Sweat, or what should have been so, dripped down his purple head in rivets. "Wait, Vegeta please. This doesn't have to go done that way. We could team up, the three of us...and take down Frieza!"

"Cut the crap fish head. You'd be nothing but dead weight that could never be trusted. Funny too, because those words are a good description of what you're about to become."

He gasped, trying desperately to fin a way out of his predicament. "Shit...it's Lord Frieza!"

As Vegeta turned, Cui charged a ball of energy up and let it go. The whole time, he was nearly rolling with laughter. "Hahaha, what a chump. Can't believe he fell for that. Now that monkey knows who really has the brains."

"That person isn't you!" Vegeta hissed from behind him, causing Cui's heart to skip a beat.

"Fighting dirty...how predictable. Too bad I'm much faster now as well. Not that I'd need to be, in order to block such a pathetic excuse for a blast." he drove his knee into the fishy aliens back, shattering that part of the armor. Not even giving him a chance to hiss in pain, the grinning Saiyan delivered a palm strike that sent him soaring.

Seeing Cui fire another blast made him want to laugh. Instead he opted to meet it head on, knocking it aside with a single slapping motion. "Like I said...utterly pathetic." he side stepped, and in doing so avoided a punch to the face. Then with practiced ease he drove his fist into the other's stomach. Vegeta leaned in, talking quietly in Cui's ear opening.

"Remember that fight, where you beat me?

That was only because I let you do so. I knew that if I allowed myself to be injured almost to the brink of death, that I'd come back that much stronger. It worked perfectly. On top of it, I even got to see Frieza himself beat you to within an inch of your miserable life.

Then came my close call on Earth...but you don't have enough time left to hear that story." All of it was said with a sadistic smirk.

Becoming consumed in a fit of laughter, the prince kicked him away. Then with a thrust of his hand Cui exploded in a dazzling display, raining ash and body parts all around.

...

Zarbon brushed a strand of hair away, looking at the scouter in surprise. "Well then, seems that Vegeta made short work of Cui."

Frieza's only response was to laugh quietly. "Exactly as I thought. And to think you doubted that my little prince could pull it off, Dodoria." he gave the pink creature a wry smile. "I knew full well how outmatched he was. Cui was a terrible fighter, and would have lost even if he were on equal footing with my former pet. You might even say I desired such an outcome with how disloyal he was. Two birds with one stone, you might say."

"Enough idle chatter." his tone had shifted, become much colder. "We already have the location of the next village, and I don't much want to afford Vegeta the chance to get his grubby little hands all over my dragonballs. Let's move out!"

...

"Yamcha you idiot!" Bulma yelled. No one noticed at first, but there were tiny cracks spider webbing across the main window. "Because of your big tough guy act, we're stuck here!"-"Look at this, how the hell can I fix this out here in the middle of nowhere space, on some uncharted planet?"

Yamcha closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You know that isn't my fault. If I hadn't of seen it coming, there wouldn't even be a ship at all."

"And besides," Krillin interjected. "Goku'll be here soon enough, so we can just hitch a ride with him on the way back if we have to."

She gave a sigh of exasperation before reluctantly agreeing.

"We should probably find somewhere else though." Gohan spoke up. "Whoever that was, there might be others. So we ought to get as far as possible before someone comes looking."

"Good thinking kid." the former bandit gave a smirk. "Hard to believe you're Goku's son sometimes..."

Scooping up Bulma, they took off, hopping across the ground while keeping their powers as low as possible.

A great many miles away, they finally reached the mouth of a large cave.

Krillin shrugged his shoulders. "Well, this will have to do. I'm not seeing much else right now that would pass for anything safe."

"Um, guys!" exclaimed a much paler Yamcha. "The cave, inside now!" In a flash, he grabbed up a screaming Bulma with the other two right behind him.

"Yamcha, what's the big deal is something-" the monk stopped talking as he felt the same thing Yamcha did.

"Keep your powers down." Gohan whispered.

Right away several dozen glowing specks appeared on the horizon. Not even ten seconds passed before they streaked over head. And as quickly as they came, they were gone. Wanting to be on the safe side everyone remained inside the crevice. Barely moving or breathing.

After a couple minutes passed Yamcha finally gather his nerves to speak. "Holy crap...did you feel the energy coming off those guys?"

Krillin fell over backwards legs growing too weak to support himself. "No joke. Two of them felt as strong as Vegeta...but that guy out front takes the cake. It felt like half a dozen Vegeta's stacked together. And I get the feeling that he wasn't showing anywhere near his full power."

"Maybe I got better eyesight cause I'm part Saiyan, but did anyone see what they were carrying?" Gohan looked at the ground as he was talking. "I'm not sure, but it looked like they were carrying something orange."

Bulma started fumbling in her pocket. "I-I'll check the radar..." she pressed some buttons on the dragon radar, with a look of horror covering her face. "Three of them. They have three dragonballs, damn it..."

"We're going to have our work cut out for us...first Vegeta and that stupid ogre, now these guys!" Yamcha drug a hand through his hair in frustration. "Maybe we can at least get one of the balls...hold onto it, that way they won't get their hands on all of them."

He looked around. "Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

Gohan of all people snickered, and the others burst out laughing. Even Yamcha had a quick chuckle at his poor choice of wording.

"Anyway-" Krillin said. "Yamcha is right about that, if we can get one of the dragonballs we can keep everyone else from making any wishes. Which might buy us enough time to think up a plan to steal the rest."

"Well, there is another one about ten miles away." the blue haired woman clicked the radar off, before handing it to Krillin. "If you all get going now, I should have everything else set up here by the time you get back. Just don't forget and leave me stranded. "she shook her fist, only half serious in the implied threat.

"Of course not babe, I would never do something like that."

Krillin rolled his eyes at Yamcha, while Bulma mumbled "wouldn't be the first time..." underneath her breath.

Everything said and done, the trio took off, sprinting as fast as possible. At least while suppressing their power levels.

...

_Several weeks prior, deep in space._

_"...and that is exactly what you're up against Goku. Remember, don't think for a minute that Frieza is anything like Vegeta. He for one, won't waste time just monkeying around."_ the kai paused to chuckle. _"But seriously Goku, promise me you'll stay as far from him as possible."_

"Alright King Kai. I'll do my best. It sure is tempting though, but I won't try and find him just to pick a fight. He hurts anyone of my friends or Gohan and I might have to break that promise."

_"Gah...what am I going to do with you"_ he stamped his foot on the ground like a petulant child, knowing that Goku couldn't see him doing so."_ Hopefully they will try and avoid him as well, I still haven't been able to get a hold of them yet for some bizarre reason. Just keep trying to contact them, and I'll keep you as up to date as possible."_

Goku heard another bit of laughter, and the link faded. He knew that he should avoid Frieza, but if push came to shove, the Earth raised Saiyan wanted to be in the best possible condition to face him.

"Hey Yajirobe, I'm going to crank up the gravity to sixty!" was what he said, in a very excited tone. The samurai didn't even have a chance to utter a word of protest, before being smashed into the floor by the increase.

Even Goku found himself struggling just to stand. "Great, this'll be a good starting point..."

...

Nappa gave Vegeta a very pleased look. "Sure made quick work of that trash, that guy always got on my nerves. Appule, never could stand him either."

"Indeed. Little fool always made light of you and the weakling..well till the day I blasted him through Frieza's meeting room. He had it coming to him for a very long time." the prince smirked. He was quite proud of what they had accomplished already. But there was a lot to be done, and neither could afford to remain idle for long.

King Vegeta's former general was the one to beat him to the punch. "Think we should get a move on soon. Don't know if that prissy little lizard has gotten any, but we need to get looking for those balls. Doubly so since they probably know exactly where we are now."

"Trying to take charge are we?" Vegeta lunged forward, burying his fist in the larger Saiyans gut. Nappa gasped as the other pulled his arm back. Vegeta smirked at that.

"I could drop you in an instant. Remember that next time before opening your mouth."he smirked as Nappa clutched his stomach, feeling satisfied with the sight before him.

...

"Gohan, get down!" Krillin grabbed the boy and pulled him to where they were both out of sight. A few hundred feet past the bottom of the cliff, the monk had spotted the village. Unfortunately, there were others down there. It wasn't hard to tell who they were, especially the one in the weird contraption.

"Wow...his power is even more terrifying up close." Yamcha struggled to keep his voice down.

"And are those the dragonballs, they're huge!" Exclaimed Krillin.

...

On the ground below, Frieza narrowed his eyes at the village elder. "So, you say that you have no idea what a dragonball is?"

"That's right. Now, since we don't have what you seek, leave us be." sweat was forming on the old Namekians brow.

"It's funny." a cruel smile formed on the ice demons lips. "I'd be inclined to believe you, were it not for the fact that the last elder tried the exact same batch of lies. A dozen or so causalities later, and he began to sing a different tune. Is that what you want, the deaths of your beloved kinsman?"

"We'd all gladly pay that price, and more to keep you from having them!" rang a sharp voice. One of the younger adults, he glared at Frieza defiantly.

Slowly the horned fiend began to laugh. "Aren't we the daring one...yet in speaking out you also inadvertently allowed something to slip. Now, hand over that dragonball lest things turn a bit more...violent."

"Never, I would die a thousand deaths before letting someone so vile the chance to make any sort of wish." the elder said, spitting after the last word.

With a faux sense of politeness, he spoke again. "My my sir. Those are some harsh words. I'm truly wounded." any sense of courtesy vanished, as a snarl formed on Frieza's mouth. "Yet I think you'll remember those words, and and grow to regret them. By the time I'm done here you just might get what you asked for."

"Dodoria, please demonstrate." his tone went cold, devoid of emotion.

"With gusto!" he charged, ramming his head into one hapless being and impaling him with the spikes. A few drops of blood ran down, and the blob didn't hesitate to lick some off of his finger. Nearly gagging at the taste, he grabbed another by the head, before snapping his neck like a twig.

He grunted in annoyance when a tiny beam slammed into his head, right below his ear. Dodoria turned, seeing three new arrivals facing him down.

"What have we here...more guests to attend to. Zarbon, be a dear check their power levels for me." Not that it mattered what they were, they were but ants in the grand scheme.

"Exactly two thousand each. Nothing to worry about. Our soldiers can handle them just fine." with a single glance at his lord, Zarbon saw the look of approval. With a quick jerk of his head, the signal was given. Fifteen rushed at the three, but in under a minute were all thoroughly dispatched.

Seeing them fall didn't deter the rest. The result was the exact same, each second more and more were dropping off like flies.

Zarbon clicked the button, still keeping an eye on the situation at hand. "Looks like the first reading was wrong. All of them have powers in excess of five thousand."

"And they're kinda killing our men." Dodoria commented in a bored tone.

Frieza closed his eyes. "Quite a stunning observation. Bravo on the brilliant detective work Dodoria. Now, there is a very simple solution to that problem. Care to inquire as to what it is?"

With a second to think it over, the large pink creature got the idea. "The scouter said all of you are at a little over five thousand. Pretty strong, but I'll let you know something. I could take on a dozen of ya and still win."

_That's how they find our villages then._ Thought one of the young warriors. With the remaining soldiers backing off in lieu of Dodoria stepping in, he had time to pay attention to other things. "Let's see how you track our people down without these!" aiming quickly, he fired off several quick bolts of energy, each one seeking out a scouter.

"Impudent little snail." icy eyes locked onto the offending Namek. "A very clever tactic. Your race can sense other beings, without such devices, correct?" The inquiry sounded innocent, but the tone still chilled the warriors. When the pointy eared man nodded, Frieza gave a sneer. "Cute. Did the possibility ever occur to you that their might be others outside your species that could boast a similar ability?"

Leaning forward in his hover chair, he observed their reactions. And he could practically taste their fear. Tempting as it was to bask in it, drink it in, there were more important things to be done. "Now that that's settled...kill them Dodoria."

Charging, the aforementioned quickly fired a mouth blast, turning one to ash instantly. Spinning, he caught the foot of another. "Sneak attack huh? Not a bad try, but it won't save you from me!", with a jerk the leg was ripped off. Dodoria laughed as the Namekian howled in pain, before taking the beings leg and ramming it clean through his throat. "Vermin." he span on the body as it hit the ground.

"Well, look at what we got here. All your little friends are dead...and I gotta feeling that you're gonna be joining 'em real soon." he thumped a balled fist into the open palm of his other hand.

"Never!" with a roar the last remaining defender fired a bolt of ki. Dodoria caught it with one hand. Then with a sadistic expression of glee, he tossed it back. Unable to react, and weakened from charging the beam, the warrior was engulfed in the fiery heat of his own attack. Thick black smoke poured from his charred form, though he wasn't head. By a stroke of luck he stumbled at the last possible moment, and only his left arm and lower torso were hit.

Barely even standing, and coughing up blood, he was helpless for what came next. Faster than he could have ever hoped to react to Dodoria had body slammed him, plowing him down into the dirt. Every bone in his body shattered, and his heart and lungs were crushed. He was dead before the fat monster stood up.

"Must he always be so...brutal?" Zarbon wondered quietly. Not that he was disgusted, no. He had worked with the over sized lard bucket for too long to feel much. Didn't mean that he had to enjoy watching it though.

Frieza had toned it all out, but now that the deed was done, he refocused on who was still in front of him. "Witness the folly of your ways, Namek. Persist any longer with this nonsense and you will suffer along with the rest of your kind."

...

"They're killing them!" Gohan hissed through clenched teeth. Every part of his being was telling him to help, but the rational part of his mind screamed that it would be suicide.

"I don't like it any more than you do little buddy, but we'll be ripped apart if we go down there." Krillin was angry at the spectacle, but like Yamcha and Gohan, the monk knew they stood no chance against them.

Right as the giant blob of a minion was about to kill one of the children, Gohan snapped. Logic and reason be damned.

"I've had enough of this, even if I die trying I'm going to help!" a massive pulse of energy burst from within him, and he was off like a missile.

"Damn it all!" Yamcha growled before taking off after him, with Krillin hot on his heels.

...

"What the-" was all Dodoria uttered before a foot smacked him across the face, and into one of the houses.

"Kid, come with me, one of you grab him too!" Gohan quickly grabbed the hand of the Namekian child, while Yamcha grabbed the elder Namek. Not wanting to stick around a second longer, they quickly blasted off at top speed.

Grabbing onto a piece of ruined wall, Dodoria stumbled out. "Aghh...little bastard came out of nowhere!"he said, using his free hand to wipe the some dirt and blood away.

Frieza blinked a few times in confusion."So, what the hell was that?!"

"I..have have no idea my lord. Whoever it was was packing a pretty high power level though. Near ten thousand." Zarbon was just as confused a his ruler on that. Angry too that Dodoria had allowed himself to be taken so off guard. _Nothing but a brainless brute anyway._ Brushing the thought aside, he gave the other henchman a scornful glance at the same time Frieza did.

"You know Dodoria..." each word came out soft, almost soothing. But both of his high ranking warriors knew otherwise. "...not that it's a big deal. But you see, those miscreants did swoop in and steal two very valuable assets. So," Frieza's voice began to grow more and more threatening. "...normally I wouldn't bother, but the thing is...they are getting away you INCOMPETENT BASTARD!"

Dodoria shot off hastily, letting out an panicked growl. His life was on the line with this and he knew it.

...

"Nice going Gohan, I know you wanted to do the right thing...but now we're in big trouble!" Krillin shot the boy a slightly irritated look.

Yamcha made sure he had a good grip on his passenger, then lead the charge by putting on an extra burst of speed. "Guys...we need to pick it up cause he's gaining on us fast!"

Burning hot ki shot right beneath Krillin, slowing him down significantly. Looking back his worst fear was realized. That hulking behemoth was less than a meter away, arm outstretched to grab his leg. "Don't stop for me, just get them out of here!" he yelled frantically, hoping they would listen.

"Sure was some stunt you little fuckwads pulled back there, taking me be surprise like that. When I'm done with you, I'll catch up with the little brat and teach him some new things on pain." he grinned wickedly as he realized something. "Say, he had a tail didn't he?"

Not that he expected an answer. It was always more fun to beat those out of people. "He did! I didn't think there were many left after their planet got 'destroyed,' hehe. Lord Frieza would just love it if I brought that one back alive."

Krillin took the chance, and took a swipe, nearly nailing the pink alien in his stomach.

"Feisty little guy aren't ya?" Dodoria licked his lips eagerly. "Well I am a bit hungry...and they say meat is best when it's raw and seasoned with terror. Don't worry, this'll only hurt a lot!"

He cranked his fist back, but Krillin had other ideas. "Sorry fatso, but dinner's canceled...Solar flare!"

With his foe blinded and screaming obscenities, the monk knew this was his only chance. Using his free leg he dealt Dodoria a swift kick underneath the chin, nearly knocking the obese minions scouter off.

Seeing that the other's nearly over the horizon he quickly took off at top speed, hoping with all his might that the spiky thing would be to disorientated to follow.

Minutes later, Dodoria was still rubbing his eyes. And muttering underneath his breath. Nearly every other word was something profane or a threat. Blinking, he was glad that he could finally see again. A click on his scouter and he saw nothing.

"Hiding their power, like that'll save their asses from me!

I know where they went, so no way they got far. I'll catch them, and when I do..." he gave a deep booming laugh, as his aura flashed around him.

Next thing he knew, his scouter went off. He turned, seeing only the bottom of a boot as it smacked him in the face. Then he was falling, until smashing into the water below.

Sputtering, he wasted no time dragging himself out. Shocked turned to rage as he looked into the eyes of two Saiyans.

He ground his teeth together. "Filthy little apes!"

"Dodoria. Well what a surprise, running into you out here. Away from Frieza too, not smart. Then again you never were one for brains, were you Dodo head?" Both he and Nappa laughed at the comment.

Clearly incensed at the remark, he raised a fist threateningly. "Arrogant little shit pile...now you've really done it!"

Judgement clouded by rage, he fired a blast at the two. Vegeta crossed his arms and smirked. When the cloud of dust and smoke dispersed, he was still standing in place. Unfazed, he allowed himself to slip into a casual fighting stance. "Come on, if you're going to try and fight me you'll need to do better than that. Or did your scouters not pick up on this?"

Aura bursting around him, he reached his max in only a few seconds. Unlike earlier, no time was wasted trying to make a show off his power. Seeing the expression on his newest victim's face filled him with joy. Especially when the scouter blew up before he could throw it away.

"Over 29,000...that has to be wrong. No way in hell is that right!" Sweat was pouring down his head and thick neck, and his eyes were wide.

"I'm afraid it is...don't tell me you're actually going to try and back out, the party has yet to begin!" With a flex of his gloved hand, he made a motion beckoning the other to come at him.

A single stomp split the ground in two, right below his feet. "Ha, yeah right. As if I'd be afraid of some shit slinging monkeys!"

Phasing out of sight, he landed next to Vegeta ready to strike. Instead he struck nothing but air, as his opponent dodged by doing a flip backwards. Watching Dodoria carefully, he crouched low to the ground, as his foe missed him yet again. With a quick elbow thrust, Vegeta caught him in the ribs.

Gasping in shock, Dodoria threw a wild punch that caught the Saiyan prince square in the face. Grimacing, the latter quickly caught himself and caught the knee that was headed for his stomach. "So you can fight back a little, interesting. But it won't be enough!" he flung his enemy off, then launched himself immediately after.

To Dodoria's credit, he made a valiant effort to defend himself. But it wasn't enough against an opponent that was both stronger and more skilled.

A pink fist shot out, nailing the prince in the temple. Slightly dazed, but still undeterred he smashed the bulky henchman across the cheek with a boot.

Shaking his head, he blocked several blasts aimed his way. All around him dust was rising, enough to completely obscure him. And as he predicted, Dodoria rushed in without thinking of the consequences.

Popping his jaw into place, Dodoria tried looking through the shroud. "Damn ape, where did he get to?"

Vegeta let out a raspy laugh. "Poor Dodoria. If only you could sense energy, you might actually be able to find me."

He swung, hitting nothing but air. Something struck the side of his head, prompting him to fire a blast off in that direction. Next thing he knew, there was a fist impacting the back of his skull. Skidding and tumbling end over end, Dodoria managed to stop himself just before sliding back into the water. Blood was dripping from his face and drawing in enough air to breath was becoming taxing.

In front of him appeared a smirking Saiyan. "And thus it ends. Pitiful, but exactly as I expected from one of Frieza's 'finest' lapdogs." A sneer spread across his lips. "Now, any last words before I redecorate the ground with your entrails?"

Fear took hold of him, enough that he couldn't stop his legs from shaking. "Wait, I...I can tell you what happened to your planet."

The pleading look made Vegeta want to wretch, but he wanted to hear exactly what the fat moron had to say. Moreover, he wanted to see how it meshed with all that he had gleaned over the years.

"Frieza told you all that it was hit by an asteroid, that it caused the planet to blow up." Dodoria shook his head. "That was all bullshit. Frieza did it himself. Cooler, he put it into Frieza's head that there was going to be some sort of uprising, and that some super warrior was going to come along and lead the monk-I mean the Saiyans to victory."

"Well, I don't know how much my lord believed it, but when King Vegeta tried to get you back, that was the last straw. He killed him, then destroyed the planet right away."

Vegeta tightened his fist. Nappa was livid, and the prince didn't blame him at all. In the back of their minds, they both knew all along who really did it. The only part that didn't add up was Cooler's involvement. That matter could wait though. One tyrant was enough on their plate for the moment.

"So it's exactly as I thought. It doesn't matter now, especially not for you." Energy crackled around his hand, and his muscles tensed up in preparation to attack.

In a blinding display of speed, he closed the distance, before striking Dodoria in the chest with his glowing hand. Armor chipped and disintegrated, with the pieces being embedded into his pink flesh by the force of the blow. Pulling back, with his glove now stained a deep shade of red, Vegeta prepared to deal the final blow.

Hand inches from his foe's face, the prince felt absolutely nothing but disgust for the being he was about to slay. With a torrent of ki upon him, there was nothing Dodoria could do except scream. That only lasted for a millisecond, as that was all the time needed to wipe every trace of his being from the universe.

...

_Three weeks prior, King Kai's planet_

Tien and Chaoutzu looked at each other, smirking.

"Kaioken!" Red flames surrounded each of them, and they moved in to begin the assault on their target. Piccolo grinned, extending his clawed fingers whilst getting into a stance.

Seeing the triclops phase out of sight, he stepped to the side on reflex. As he did so, an image of Tien flickered then vanished. Ducking to avoid a psionic burst, he fired beams from his eyes at the dwarf. Chaoutzu managed to put up a shield to block them, but it did nothing to inhibit the Namek. Extending his arm to absurd proportions, he dealt a swift punch before retracting the limb.

Not a moment too soon, he spun and caught Tien's fist inches from his face. A white hot aura lit up around him at the same time his opponent activated the Kaioken.

Piccolo then countered with a punch of his own, only to have his opposite catch it with a smirk of his own. The two began soaring high over the planet, striking out with their legs and knees during the grapple. Tien felt his body clench in pain, something his sparring partner also picked up on.

Slamming his head forward, he caused Tien to stagger backwards in mid air. Concentration broken, his crimson aura vanished giving Piccolo the perfect shot. First slamming his fist into the former assassin's gut, then following up with an open palm strike to the chest that sent him sailing back.

His body felt sluggish suddenly, and the demon knew who was responsible. However, that would only add to the challenge, so he decided to focus on the primary threat first. Tien was back now, and with his movements slowed Piccolo found that they were very close to being evenly matched. His own blows were far more powerful, but with his agility compromised that advantage was greatly negated.

Spinning, he avoided a 'Dodon Ray' to the side. Then came a crunch, as he felt a fist collide with his cheek. Growling, he grabbed the bald man by his arm and sunk his nails in deep. Twisting the appendage around made him nearly scream from the pain, something the green man took no delight in.

Lashing out, he landed a kick underneath Tien's chin. A pulse hit him before he could pursue, and he turned just in time to be hit in the stomach by a small object encased in a fiery aura. Letting out a hiss, he backhanded Chaoutzu aside only for Tien to come in with a double handed strike to the top of his head.

Only with a burst of energy did he manage to stop himself, mere feet before he would have impacted the surface of the small world.

His past self would have been furious at this, at him now. Yet none of it would have been possible had those changes not occurred. The power he wielded, was far more than he could have even comprehended way back then. So in the end, he could say that he had no regrets. Even his death had a purpose in allowing him to reach previously inconceivable goals.

A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Fate has the most bizarre means of fulfilling itself."

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Gohan: 5,150 (Temporary rage boost): 9,800

Krillin: 4,122

Yamcha: 4,035

Frieza Soldier #1: 2,500

Frieza Soldier #2 and #3: 1,085

Vegeta: 29,200

Nappa: 19,020

Cui: 22,000

Dodoria: 24,000

Appule: 13,600

Namekian Warriors: 5,200 each

Piccolo: 15,200

Tien: 9,444 (Kaioken): 14,166

Chaoutzu: 6,400 (Kaioken): 9,600

* * *

><p>AN Pt.2: Well, I was on the fence for a while, but Chapter 15 is going to be a bit of a special. It is going to take place right around and into the arrival of the group on Namek. The focus is on those still on Earth, and I'm drawing on one of the movies for reference. It is going to be very different from the movie, since it will center on Master Roshi, Chi Chi...and a third person whom I'm sure is very familiar. To be fair, Master Roshi was important in the movie, but that is the only clue I'm leaving here in this chapter.

In the PL listing, I deliberately omitted Goku and Yajorobe. Don't expect their powers to be revealed till they arrive. Hell, don't expect to see much of them till then either. As for Piccolo and the others, the listing is from the final scene where they are sparring. If anyone has any additional questions, ask away in review form.


	15. Worlds Strongest

_A/N: _I said it was going to be a special. And it is. The title alone makes it very obvious which it is. I liked the movie, but obviously it could not fit anywhere into canon. The way I did it, makes it fully compatible with my story's canon. It also shows what is going on on Earth while every one else is in space. Of course, I made quite a few changes. I had to, to make it so that the characters portrayed could actually stand a chance.

I've started on Chapter 16, as mentioned in the previous chapter. So it should be out somewhere between September 15-20. This one would have been sooner had a lot of things in my life not came up.

And of course, it won't be till then that you all see what is transpiring on Namek.

Not sure what else to add at the moment, so here is the very first special in SoAS.

* * *

><p><em>Earth, approximately two months after Goku's departure<em>

"Ha!" Chi Chi delivered a powerful uppercut, catching the turtle hermit right underneath his chin.

Doing a backwards somersault, he managed to land on his feet. "I think we can take a quick breather." he said, panting slightly. Not that he was worried about himself, rather it was Goku's wife that concerned him. That last move expended the last of her energy, and unless he put a stop to it, she might end up killing herself.

"No way, I'm...I'm just getting started." upon finishing the sentence she started to fall, only to be caught by the old pervert. Tempted as he was, he knew better than to sneak a feel on this woman.

"No, we're done for today. I'm well aware that you're doing this to take your mind off of other things, but running yourself into the ground isn't going to solve anything." said the hermit. Ever since Goku left for Namek she had been on his island, training almost nonstop.

She pushed him off, finding her own footing once more. "I know, but I'm so worried about them all...at least they both call me to let me know how they are doing, otherwise I'd probably go insane from worrying."

Master Roshi adjusted his glasses slightly. "With as hard as you're pushing yourself that might almost be a better alternative. Chi Chi, I'm every bit as concerned as you are, but you have to give yourself time to rest. Relax even.

Goku has been through many things, and you know that he always triumphs in the end. And I'm sure Gohan is in good hands. Krillin and Yamcha and both good men, and they will do everything possible to keep your son safe."

Chi Chi huffed, but ended up nodding in agreement nonetheless. "Kami knows I hate saying this, but you're right old man. I've really been hard on myself...it's just that I've been thinking, that if I was stronger I could have helped. Maybe if I had, Tien, Piccolo and Chaotzu would have lived-"

He shook his head. "No, don't blame yourself. We did all that was possible in the time we had, so no reason to beat ourselves up over it. "

Chi Chi nodded curtly before walking back inside.

_Such a joy to watch them walk away. _Master Roshi thought as a smile came over his face.

...

In the northern mountains, something of a very different nature was afoot. Chunks of ice began cracking and melting, before falling into the lake below.

Climbing to the top of his machine, an aging man let out a dry laugh. Each breath produced a thick mist around his face, but that didn't dampen his joy in the slightest. "It took me decades, but I've finally done it.

You''ll get the body that you need, and then the next phase will begin. Soon, the world will know the might of Wheelo!"

Laughter, first the aged prune of a man, then three others.

...

"Life support is intact, power systems operational. Backup core online, initiating Omega subroutine." Doctor Kochin was typing rapidly on a dusty keyboard. So far, everything had been going smoothly. In a few short moments, his partner in crime would be back. Well, thought the 'good' doctor, he would at least be concious and moving again.

Fifty years ago, they had been on the verge of something truly great. Bio-engineering, on a grand scale. All sorts of things would be possible, and it would lead them to greatness. To mastery of the world economy. But then the unthinkable happened.

Kochin had been a young man at that point, his good friend did not share that advantage. Already worn and withered, Doctor Wheelo was in his last years when they started their research. Stress from the experiments, and his own impending mortality eventually drove the man to the brink. In addition to the mountains of work he normally did, his goal was to find a way to cheat death. To gain immortality through science.

Such pursuits had a disastrous effect on his mind and mental stability as a whole. Casting away his own humanity, he began augmenting his body with various robotic parts. Despite this prolonging his life, it was never enough. Thus he continued, distorting himself till he was but a hallow shell of his former being.

Doctor Kochin knew that such endeavors had taken their toll on himself as well, how else could his decrepit appearance be explained?

All that mattered was that Wheelo was alive inside that hulking piece of metal. Seeing the vitals, indicating normal brain activity made the man smile.

"Welcome back, old friend."

...

Launch squealed, as she felt a hand slide across her backside. As it would go, today was not destined to be a good day for the lecher. A sudden sneeze, and he found himself dealing with her blond haired doppelganger. With his hand still in a precarious position.

"You got some nerve tryin to pull that crap still!" From seemingly nowhere, she pulled out a machine gun and emptied an entire clip into the old master. Nose bleeding, he fell over in a comical manner.

"Hmph!" she turned on her heel and walked back inside.

Chi Chi passed her on the way, and knew from the gun fire what had likely happened. Seeing Master Roshi on the ground, clothes riddled with smoking holes confirmed it.

"Hehehehe." he chuckled. "Worth it every time!" Looking up, he saw the wife of his former student and immediately dropped the lecherous persona.

"Good morning Chi Chi, uh...lovely weather isn't it?" He ran his hand over the top of his head, wiping some sweat off.

"Weather, right." she shook her head. "By now I'd figure you'd learn, but somethings will never change."

A faint pulse rippled through him, and the old man's face became serious. Chi Chi felt it too, and she got into a fighting stance. "So you felt it too...several different energy signals, but they all feel so cold. Almost as if they aren't really alive."

Four beings touched down, forming a circle around the pair. The master looked at them, barely hiding the surprise he felt. "Chi Chi, you remember those things that the Saiyans brought...those green things that sprouted from out of the ground."

"Yeah, they do look a lot like them. Except these are blue, and they look more machine than anything else." She eyed each one cautiously. "But I think these little freaks are a lot weaker, we shouldn't have much trouble here."

All four quickly converged on the two, before being blown back when the humans powered up. "Two of us, four of them. I think you know how this needs to be."

Chi Chi nodded, rushing one before it fully regained its senses. Her kick nearly split its face in two, revealing a horrible mess of sparking wires and tissue. Black blood and oil dripped from the wound, and it gave a deep hiss. Both went at the Ox Princess, trying to overwhelm her with numbers. Taking a couple glancing blows at first, before one got a lucky shot to her stomach.

Screaming in rage, she flew back at it, driving her fist into its already damaged face. Hand still inside it's head cavity, she pushed deeper till something squished against her fingers. The creature's eyes went dark before it gurgled and fell to the ground. Pulling her hand out, she saw bits of discolored brain matter. "Gross, the hell are these things?!"

Dancing around the clumsy strikes of the other, she slammed and elbow into its chest. It caught itself before hitting the sandy beach, but found itself being grabbed by the head and then hurtled into the sky.

She frowned, before adopting her husband's stance. "Kaaa...meeee...haaaameee...HAAA!"

Blue energy shot out of her hands, before colliding with the dazed monster in the sky. Groaning and flailing, it was ripped apart in seconds.

Taking a deep breath, before looking over to check on the hermit. As expected he had already disposed of his opponents well before her, and was starring at her with a look of amusement. Or at least, she hoped that it was amusement. "What the hell was that, what were those ugly...things?"

Master Roshi wiped some of the slime off his face. "I'm afraid that I am just as much in the dark as you are. Whatever it is, I can say for sure that I don't like it at all."

Each then felt a mental tug, and realized that there was another presence in their minds. "Well, I might be able to help with that."

"Who are you, and what gives you the right to pop into our heads like that!" she shook her fists at the unseen entity.

"Chi Chi, that is Korin. You should show a little more respect, as he is literally right below Kami." the old man was obviously rattled by it all.

They heard a raspy laugh. "That is true, that was a bit rude. But, I did intrude on your thoughts in the first place, so I'll let that one go."

Her anger cooled down, being replaced by confusion. "Korin...wait a minute!" she snapped her fingers. "I know who you are now, you were one of the people who trained Goku when he was still a kid. I've heard stories of you, and you're training methods. Because of you he was able to beat that assassin the Red Ribbon army hired to try and kill him. For that alone, I'm very grateful."

Up in the sky, an old cat gently rubbed his whiskers with a paw. "Indeed. Quite a funny coincidence that you mention that mercenary, all things considering."

"What do you mean?" inquired Master Roshi.

Laughter. "You'll see soon enough. I've been watching that one for some time, and I've seen quite a few surprises already. But he is not the threat, rest assured on that. What happened to you all, was not merely some random attack. Actually," the cat paused mid sentence. "...I think I would prefer if you were on the lookout. I might be...safer if you were as this matter concerns the two of you directly."

Chi Chi pinched the bridge of her nose. "That would be great, but how in the hell are we supposed to get there?

The old man can barely fly, and I sure as heck won't be trusting him to carry me."

"Why wouldn't you..." he thought on the matter briefly. "Nevermind, I think I get your point on that. As to how you will get here...that will be made clear in a few seconds time."

Both felt a presence appear right over head.

Mister Popo smiled down at them gently from his carpet. "Hi!."

Slowly he descended till he was just a few inches above the ground. "Step right on, and Popo can take you there."

She rubbed her eyes in surprise. "Well that solves that problem..."

"So it would seem, now...it's only proper to let the lady go first-"

"No, you first...I insist!" Chi Chi promptly kicked the hermit in the rear, sending him stumbling over and onto the magic rug. "Don't think I didn't figure out what you were getting at."

The old man mumbled to himself. Right behind him, she jumped onto the carpet. In the blink of an eye, the island vanished.

...

The balding scientist watched the monitor eagerly. How easy it was to hack into the communications network and hijack a satellites video feed.

"Yes...this one has potential. Especially since the stronger ones have all either died or vanished into thin air." Kochin declared triumphantly.

"Then again, the female did dispatch two of my bio-warriors with comparative ease...and she is much younger. Though if you don't mind, I would like to interject my personal opinion into this. It would be a bit...awkward if you found yourself in the possession of such a...supple young body."

"Duly noted. However, I am still weighing my options in terms of selecting a new body. More data is needed, and I think I have the perfect way to acquire it." he gave a metallic laugh. "You did capture the other old human, did you not?"

Kochin nodded quickly. "But of course old friend. He will serve as both the proper bait, and the final test. And now that my other three little puppets are finished, this operation can begin in full."

"Wait a minute...some weird looking creature appeared on some carpet...then they all vanished. This is getting more and more interesting as we move along."

...

Next thing they knew, they were face to face with a white bipedal cat. Korin was standing on the railing, in an effort to compensate for his short stature.

"Ah you're here. Perfect, now we can speak without the risk of eavesdroppers." he ran a finger down one of his whiskers.

"Before we get to that, how exactly do you know so much about what is going on? Because I thought only Kami had those powers." Instead of an immediate answer, she got a swift whack over the head with Korin's staff. Growling angrily, she clenched her fist tightly. Korin watched in both amusement and fear. Fear that he might have went a little too far in provoking her.

"Now...that was a bit out of line of me. I apologize, but what you said was a bit...insulting. True, I'm obviously not the guardian or anything. But I am right below Kami in rank, and any wanting to see him must first pass through here. So obviously, though apparently not to you, I also have some of his abilities. My gift of sight is not as extensive as his, but it can clue me in to emerging threats. Doctor Wheelo and his partner in crime...Doctor Kochin...you've heard of them, have you not Roshi?"

The hermit confirmed it by nodding. "I have. Half a century ago they were making all sorts of noise, something about biotech...they claimed to be on the verge of some big life extending breakthrough. I suspected that they weren't guided by the best motives...Wheelo was old and sick however, and when they fell out of the news I assumed that he had died. That isn't true, is it?"

Korin shook his head. "No. From what I've seen, that Kochin guy managed to keep his brain alive, at the cost of Wheelo's humanity. Whatever he had left that is. The 'good' doctor and his lab were entombed in the northern wastes...and Kochin found them. Wheelo and he are working together, in the hopes of procuring a new body. One that is strong and fit. They were the ones responsible for those creatures that tried to kill you. It was, if my guess is correct, a test."

Chi Chi gulped. "A test, what the heck for?"

Sighing, he looked the woman in the eyes. "What do you think?

He wants to see which body would be the strongest, and thus most suitable for his brain."

"Of course it isn't just you. They have their eyes on one other, whom you know all to well. Were it not such a grave matter, I wouldn't tolerate his presence here." Korin motioned, and a figure stepped from the shadows.

"As if you could do anything to me now. I could destroy you in a second you flea ridden feline. Regrettably, that isn't what I'm here for." the man gave a sinister smirk, focusing his eyes on the other two humans.

"Mercenary Tao?!" Master Roshi stammered. "You...you're much stronger now too..."

"What is he doing h-" Chi Chi started to say, before being cut off by the assassin.

"A personal matter. Those two have taken someone that is close to me. Not in the sense that I care for, but rather this person is related to me. My brother, the Crane hermit was foolish enough to let those pitiful beings to whisk him away. I may loathe him, but no one save me has any claim on his life. Least of all not them." he flexed a robotic hand, a small bolt of electricity running down it's length as he did so.

Chi Chi gave him an uncertain look. "Well...I guess it's good to have you on our side."

Tao narrowed his artificial eyes before giving her a cruel smile. "The only side I'm on is my own. Never forget that. Cross me and you'll share the same fate as those foolish doctors."

The woman turned and stormed away, not wanting to stick around him any longer. Master Roshi wasn't entirely convinced of the cyborgs threat, but did not wish to call him out on it. Something was different about him, but the old hermit couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"If you are done with the little reunion, then it would be best of you set off now. Mister Popo here can take you to the northern wastes, close to the base. Of course, you'll have to be cautious. No doubt they will be watching you the moment you cross into their territory, so it would be wise to be on guard for any traps."

The cat scratched his chin. "And for goodness sake, let Mister Popo materialize you some new clothing. Temperatures up there are well, well below freezing."

..

Ten minutes later Mister Popo appeared in the middle of the snowy wasteland, with several passengers on his carpet. It was obvious where Dr. Wheelo's base was. About a mile off, the snow and ice ended, and there was a massive indentation in the ground. With a simple wave, the genie vanished once more.

"Well, you heard the cat. That must be it over there, now all we have to do is storm the place and take them out." the whole time she was ignoring the sour look Tao was giving her.

The mercenary snorted at her. "You make it sound as if it were going to be as simple as a family picnic. Much as I would prefer that method, we can't rush in and simply slaughter everyone. That detestable feline raised a good point, one that you've clearly forgotten. The entire area is bound to be rigged up with all sorts of infernal machinery, that alone is a threat meriting the utmost caution. On top of that, there is a high probability that some of those hazards might be a bit more sentient, perhaps strong enough even to be of actual threat."

He sent one more glare before finishing his statement. "I also don't want to run the risk of striking down my own brother by accident. When the time comes for me to take his life, I at least want to be consciously aware of my actions."

Chi Chi pressed a hand to her temple, in an attempt to contain the emerging headache. "You're lucky we need you for this..but when it's all over I look forward to putting you in your place."

Tao scoffed. "And I look forward to ripping that tongue of yours out should you make the attempt."

Nothing further was said, as the began their short journey in a very tense silence. Along the way a few sensors were tripped, though that was not known the group.

...

"Well, this certainly isn't good." Dr. Kochin spoke flatly. "I'm not sure how they did it, but it seems that they've discovered our location far sooner than even my most outlying calculations would have predicted."

"But I'm not overly worried, not yet. We still have a few fun surprises in store for them, and there is always our bio-warriors to keep them occupied for a little while."

...

Tao flicked his pony tail to one side, as he lowered himself into the Crane stance. Looking briefly to each side, he could see that his allies of convenience had done the same thing. "It appears that they have no shortage of these creatures. Not that it's of any consequence, as my scanners indicate that none of them are even near half of my maximum power. Meaning that even you two should make quick work of them."

Eight of them all together, with three lunging for Master Roshi and the mercenary. The other two quickly made for Chi Chi. In under two minutes all had been disposed of handily, and were scattered all over the immediate area.

The groups only female wrinkled her nose at the sight of the remains. "Easy enough. Almost too easy in fact. I wonder if they are trying to lull us into some sense of false security, with sending out such weak little..."

...

"Failures!" Dr. Kochin shrieked, slamming his withered hand onto the top of the console. After a moment of almost indescribable rage, his anger melted away. "Still nothing to worry about. Not at all. Those were the weakest batch that I produced, the few that I have left are much stronger. Should they survive that, then they have to face three of my greatest creations."

"Yes, I have confidence that you won't fail me. But I don't want them dead...not yet. We have yet to determine which of the three has the most suitable body for my brain. I grow tired of this metal husk...and I desire something more. Something with a little more...feeling."

...

One precise movement was all it took. Extending the blade on his hand, the assassin made swift work of all three cameras in the room. Not a second passed before a cloud of steam shot out, nearly scalding him as he fell back.

Instead of worrying about Tao, Chi Chi and the hermit kept a watchful eye out for anything else that looked suspicious. Both knew that he could handle himself well enough anyway.

The entire room began to shake, violently. After a few moments the tremors began dying off, but in there place an ominous chorus of laughter erupted from seemingly every corner.

"Do not test my patience. Come out and face us, or you'll leave me with no choice but to destroy the entire structure." To emphasize the point, small trails of energy circled around the killer, crackling around each of his arms.

Four more of the impish abominations stepped out, but they had company with them. A reptilian creature no taller than Krillin stepped out.

"That thing, it looks kind of like Piccolo..." Chi Chi was surprised...and even a bit unnerved by this. "Way too short though."

Floating above, was something that looked a bit more human. Other than the fact that all of his lower body seemed to be entirely mechanical, with his upper portions still being a hodgepodge of organic and synthetic materials.

An intercom clicked on, with a nasally voice coming through over the static. "Well then, esteemed guests. " it paused, with the person laughing obnoxiously into whatever microphone was being used. "Let us see, exactly how well you handle these new bio-warriors. Kishimen, Misosan... will you kindly take care of them?"

The two laughed with little emotion, before charging towards the Ox-princess and Master Roshi.

Tao found himself surrounded by the four monstrosities, and took in the subtle differences between these and the ones that he had just recently killed. _Slightly taller, with red markings on their foreheads. Not that any superficial changes will matter. Still weak, all of them approximately 71.3% of my power. _

His thoughts were interrupted when one lunged at him. A single sidestep allowed him to avoid the tackle, and he found that he had ample time to deliver a strike to its temple before having to knock the next aside. _Poor tactics and coordination as well. Had they fought as a single entity they might have stood a chance at overwhelming me. Like this...they are nothing.  
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Pointing a single index finger at one, he gave a sneer as energy gather at the tip. "Dodon Ray!"

Instantly the golden beam tore through the skull of his hapless victim. Tao phased out of their sight.

Both Chi Chi and the old master were getting a good fight out of their two opponents. The Turtle hermit ducked under a whip like bolt of electricity, but didn't anticipate the next strike. That one scorched the front of his clothing, and sent a powerful jolt up and down his spine. "Now that was pretty good. But let me show you a better way of using that type of energy."

"Thunder Shock-" Green lightening swirled around his hands, both of which were palms open, aimed straight at Kishiman. "Surprise!"

His energy grew brighter, as it gained blue and yellow tints. In the time it took Dr. Kochin's fighter to blink, it was already too late. Screeching and flailing did no good, and after a few seconds it's movements ceased, as smoke began billowing out of it's nostrils and eye sockets.

"Oops, maybe I overdid it a bit..." Master Roshi quickly averted his eyes, focusing instead on Chi Chi's fight. Her opponent was giving her some trouble, but she had things under control. A sharp pain exploded in his shoulder, and the hermit turned to see the reptile. Smoke was billowing from it's eyes and nose, and blood leaking out of its mouth and ears, forming a large puddle on the ground.

"I'm surprised to see that you made it with all that damage. Somehow I doubt you became like this willingly, so I'll end things as fast as I can." he moved quickly, bulking his muscles slightly as he did so. With a few movements he managed to hit every single pressure point on the creature. Then, with a single move he blasted it into nothingness.

Finally able to focus, he turned to observe her fight. Chi Chi had just landed a kick to the side of its face, causing wires to rip out from beneath the flesh. With another strike, the woman caved in the things skull.

"He was a tough one alright." she said in between breaths. "Wait a minute...what the hell is that energy I'm feeling?"

"I'm not sure..."the old man mumbled. "But I'm not so sure it will fall as easily as the rest."

"Correct." it's large yellow stomach jiggled as it spoke. Easily nine feet all, it was a massive blob of a being.

Master Roshi raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so this one can speak?"

Tao was amused by this. "Finally, something with enough brainpower to put together a single word. This place will never cease to amaze me."

"You would do well not to mock me. Because out of all of Doctor Kochin's creations, I am by far the most-"

"Annoying!" the mercenary said harshly as he kicked it across the face, knocking it over backwards.

All he got was more robotic laughter, before being backhanded into the far wall. "That wasn't nice. As you just noticed, I'm the strongest of all the doctors creations."

Both the hermit and Chi Chi sped forward, raining dozens of blows upon the monster in the span of a couple seconds.

"This isn't working."

The short tempered woman smacked her forehead. "Obviously not, lets see how it deals with energy attacks, ha!" she extended her palm and let a burst loose. It impacted the beings belly, but after only pushing the tissue back a few inches, was bounced away.

"Watch it!" Tao barked. "That could have done worse had I not seen it and reacted when I did. " His body was smoking, and the fabric on his arms was completely burned away.

He observed as Chi Chi and the old man repeatedly hammered away at the creature, with little to no damage being inflicted. At least the turtle hermit was being cautious in his energy output, the woman was going after it with such ferocity that she was liable to burn herself out soon. Darting forward, he extended the blade, and reinforced it with his ki.

With a rapid slashing motion, he cut a large gash in it's side. In a rage it slammed a fist at his face, but he ducked in time avoid it.

"See fools, physical attacks of a conventional nature are useless. Something a little more underhanded is needed, which is exactly what I excel at." he said haughtily.

"And from what I see, you've also given us a weak point to go after." Master Roshi jumped forward, landing a solid kick where Tao had sliced their opponent open. Instead of absorbing the damage as before, a stream of sparks and oil shot out, earning a pained howl from its lips.

"That...that actually hurt." it said, as if unable to even grasp the concept.

"To be sure, that is only the beginning!" flipping over the other humans, the assassin lashed out with his blade again. This time, he aimed for just above the stomach, cutting a deep hole into it's chest cavity. Wires spewed out, with blood and oil pouring out of the wound. An acrid smell filled the air, as sparks from the circuitry began causing the blood-oil mix to smolder and hiss.

That gave the wily old hermit an idea. "I think you've had enough fun with this one." he cast mercenary Tao a reproachful look, before bulking up his muscles a bit more. Turning back, he cupped his hands together. "Kaa...meee...haaaa...meee..HAA!" he let the blue stream of energy go, sending it straight at the wounded automaton.

For a moment it held out, but eventually it's damaged flesh gave way and the beam punched a hole clean through its body. More blood shot from its mouth, mixed with a dark oil. The sparks coming from its pierced abdomen caused a chain reaction, that quickly set it on fire.

"By the looks of that," Tao scanned it with his optic sensors.", I think it would be prudent if we sought cover."

Diving behind some discarded heaps of metal, they managed to get out of harms way right as the remainder of the oil in its body ignited. A second later, it detonated into a large fireball, with pieces of flesh and machinery flying all about.

...

"Damn them. I didn't expect them to realize Katsumoto's weakness so quickly. And I underestimated their ability to exploit it. " he grasped his cane tightly.

A loud whirring noise came from Doctor Wheelo's form. "You've done a lot of underestimating today, comrade. Still, I must say that each of them would make excellent candidates. Don't fail me on that."

"I won't. That I assure you. I'm going in myself, and I'm bringing along my biggest bargaining chip."

...

After progressing further into the base, the air grew colder and danker. At the end, high on a platform they saw a wrinkled elderly man. He was holding some sort of cane in his right hand.

Doctor Kochin spoke loudly. "Well, congratulations on making it here. You've exceeded all of my calculations thus far, but that is of no consequence. At least, not to my colleague and I. The best part is yet to come. Especially for you." he pointed a wrinkled finger at the mercenary, while pressing a button with his other hand.

"I've had enough of these games. Release my brother, and I'll at least grant you a less painful death." seeing the defiant look, Tao lost whatever patience he started with. "Fine, I think I like it better this way anyhow!" he leaped into the air on a course for Kochin. He saw the other fiend smirk, before something struck him inches from his neck.

Rolling to the side, he saw that it was none other than the Crane Hermit. His own brother.

"What is the meaning of this, Shen?" he gave a menacing frown at the other. All that he got in response was a flurry of punches and kicks thrown at him. Until the other old master started talking.

"Tao, no good fool. You've gone soft haven't you brother?" he looked at Master Roshi and Chi Chi with hatred. "Teaming up with the Turtle Hermit and the wife of that Son Goku character...and here I thought you could sink no lower."

"You're one to talk you decrepit excuse for a warrior. Captured by some weakling scientists...pathetic. And you have the gall to insult me when I am risking myself to get you out of this place. We could have opted not to waste our time, and left you here to rot. You should be thankful." he spat, sneering at his older brother.

"At least I know what I am. You, well you've forgotten that. So you will die, along with everyone siding with him!" Shen pointed a bony finger at Master Roshi before firing a beam from his other palm at his sibling.

"So be it then!" his arm outstretched, he attempted to bat the energy away as if it were nothing. It would have worked in the past, but not so this time. Instead it burned into the metal gears and wires. In an instant he was down a functional limb.

"What in the world is going on?! Just days ago I could have crushed you with a fourth my power, how did you manage-" his scanners beeped, highlighting something that was attached to the Crane hermits head. "That, what is that doing on you're head?" Surely it had something to do with his brother being even more ruthless and callous than was normal.

"Hehehe!" cackled Doctor Kochin." You might say that it does. That brother of yours, he has always hated the Turtle hermit, for as long as he can remember. And he has resented, even loathed you as well. You have a much younger body, and are to be that way forever. I couldn't gather why, but it is of little concern. You've been more powerful than he has been for over a decade, and he can't stand that either. That piece of technology on his head is rather amazing in that regard."

He traced a finger through the remnants of his hair. "It locks onto the subjects hatred, and it feeds off of it. This also has the effect of enhancing the emotion to absurd levels at the ones it is directed at. Thus creating more fuel so to speak, for it to feed off of. It's completely self sustaining, and incredibly durable. It also has the handy effect of boosting the subjects power far beyond it's current level. Our friend here is absolutely rife with rage and anger, so no doubt you'll find him a tough one to handle. Have fun!"

"No good bastard, take this! Dodon Ray!" Mercenary Tao charged it up, before firing it. Unexpectedly his own brother stepped in the way, bouncing it right back at him. Spinning to the side, he still felt it sear the flesh along his abdomen.

"Roshi, and the annoying woman!" he beckoned them to come closer. "The unexpected damage, coupled with the energy I've expended has taken a toll on me. Much as I loathe weakness, especially my own, I have no choice in this. My power is barely over half, so if you two can fight him, I have a plan.""I'll be watching, for a shot at that device on his head. He is strong, easily as much as either of you. And if that crackpot is correct, he'll only get more so as the fight continues. Once I have that opening, and the proper amount of energy collected, I'll give you a signal. At that moment, grab him. But take care, as I won't feel any pity if either of you get struck with my attack."

There was no time to argue, as the Crane Hermit dropped in between them. In a move un-befitting of someone of his age, he landed an kick that knocked Chi Chi over and nearly into a wall. Instantly he was on Master Roshi, firing a barrage of punches and kicks.

Very powerful, but not very precise. That was the Turtle masters first observation. "Shen you old codger! You're better than this, that machine is making you fight like an amateur!"he broke through the latter's defenses with a savage punch to the cheek. Then another, before Shen clocked him over the head with a fist of his own.

"I'm better than you, insolent has-bin. You and you're teachings are weak turtle hermit. Just like Mutaito, and like him you'll perish!" Another limb shot out, but the other hermit managed to catch it, bulking his muscles rapidly.

Grinding his teeth, Master Roshi threw his opponent backwards. "Now I know that it's not you talking. Wicked prune that you are, you were never so disrespectful of our mentor. His actions are the reason we're even alive today. Now all you're doing is letting some mad doctor control you, like a puppet."

For a moment Shen hesitated, as if doubting himself. But the device started to glow, and his face broke into a snarl once again. "That doesn't matter. He's dead now, and I say good riddance. Just having you is bad enough...and soon you'll be gone forever!" sprinting forward with new found speed, he slammed into Roshi like a runaway train. Nose bleeding the master tried the lightening again, but his opponent knew the trick. He put up an aura around him that nullified the strike.

Cackling as he let the shield dissipate, he was blindsided by a sudden elbow strike. Skidding on the ground, he bounded to his feet before hitting a support beam. "Worthless bitch! I'll kill you for that!"

He charged a beam of ki in his finger tips and fired it her way. With a wide eyed look she held her hands up, glowing brightly with blue energy. Screaming as it burned her flesh, she finally managed to cancel out the beam. Looking at her hands briefly, she could see that they were already blistering.

That moment of distraction nearly proved fatal, with Master Roshi managing to kick Shen away before he could sink his pointed fingers into her heart.

Stunned by the blow, the other hermit landed flat on his face. As they looked up, they could see Tao. Energy was crackling around his finger, and as their eyes met his he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Now Chi Chi!" They lunged at Shen, who had barely climbed to his feet. Both found themselves straining, as their opponents power increased again.

"Damn you all! When I get loose I'll slit your throats like the worthless dogs you are!" his face was red, and his eyes horribly bloodshot.

_No you won't, brother. _With his energy fully calibrated to hone in on the mind control device, he took precise aim. "Super Dodon Ray!"

It tore through the space between them in an instant, but Shen moved slightly at the last second. Because of this, the beam not only ripped through the machine on his head, but through Chi Chi's arm as well.

She screamed in agony, knowing that she was in deep trouble now. If nothing happened to stem the blood loss she could very well bleed to death in minutes.

Master Roshi saw this, and though he knew it would bite him later he also knew that it was the only choice. Focusing his ki, he clasped on to the wound from both sides. With great care, he focused just enough of an electrical bold to cauterize the injury.

This caused her to screech even louder than last time, before promptly punching him the the face with her good arm. "What the fuck was that for!"

"I believe he was saving your life, you ungrateful banshee. You would have bled out long before getting 'proper' medical attention. Of course, had you been more careful you would have never been struck in the first place."

His brother was slung over his shoulder. Alive but very much unconscious. "Here, make sure that nothing kills him. After this is all over, I believe he and I will be having a few choice words."

Chi Chi huffed angrily, but didn't protest. Even though they had been upgraded to look almost natural, it was still impossible for her to determine anything by them. But his tone suggested that she listen. Without a doubt, something had changed since the day she saw him fight Tien at the tournament.

"You all think that you've won." Doctor Kochin was glaring down at them. "A shame you have no idea whats in store for you yet." he raised his cane up, pointing the dragon shaped head at them. "Try and stop this, if you dare!"

A ball of light shot out of it at a very alarming speed. Unwilling to find out the hard way what it would do, they each jumped out of the way a second or so before it hit. Right where they had been standing, the air seemed to distort, before pulling in on itself. After a moment the phenomenon subsided, only for him to aim it at them again.

"Like hell will I allow you a second chance!" moving far faster than the demented scientists eyes could track, the assassin was already upon him with his blade extended. The first slash cut the cane in two, and with a burst of ki he knocked it away. His second stroke cut the doctors withered hand off at the wrist.

"Well then, seems that didn't work out so well for you. Any thing you want to add? Quickly now, before I hack off anything needed for you to speak." Tao gave a sadistic laugh.

Only to raise and eyebrow in amusement when his opposite began to do the same.

"Think this is over do you? I'll show you a thing or two...try this one on!" he raised the stump of his wrist. And instead of a bloody gaping wound Tao saw what appeared to be a machine gun barrel.

"Surely this is a joke. A bullet is no threat to me." he got on guard, as something told him there was more to the weapon than what met the eye. His scanner indicated an anomaly with it, and he didn't wish to take much risk.

It hummed to life, before releasing a barrage of dense energy pellets. Smoke filled the air, with the elderly mans crazed laughter echoing all throughout the massive room. After a full minute he could feel the gun starting to overheat, and with a final burst lowered the arm housing it. As the smoke faded, so did his triumphant smile.

Tao was standing in front of him, arms crossed. His clothing was ripped badly, and still smoldering. But he had a faint aura glowing around him, one that he allowed to vanish once he was sure that the assault had ended. "More than I expected. A wise thing indeed that I shielded myself from it. But I can clearly see that this is done. As a matter of fact, so are you!"

Trembling, doctor Kochin took a frantic step backwards. He tried willing the gun to fire, but all he got was a few puffs of smoke.

And with a quick thrust, the blade was buried to the hilt in his gut. "Th-this isn't over. Doctor Wheelo...he'll have your body...and then every...everyone dies!"

"You talk way to much for your own good." he yanked the knife out, ripping out some of the other's intestines as he did so. His metallic hand changed shape once more, from that of a sword into a small cannon.

"Say goodbye! Dodon Blast!" Gold ki formed, mixing with black light near the tip. Then with a roar, it spread out and engulfed Kochin. Within a second he was reduced to ash as the beam shot out till it impacted the side wall, blasting a hole into the frigid outside.

Panting, he fell to one knee. Energy spent, he only looked on in terror as something rose up from the floor itself. Roughly seven feet tall, it was a most disturbing sight to behold. Humanoid, its body and torso seemed largely organic. Withered with age, and covered in a multitude of scars and machinery. The arms and legs were all clearly robotic. Feet were flat and pointed with no toes, and its hands ended in two large pincer like fingers and a single thumb.

Most unusual of all was the head. A mouth was present, as were a set of eyes. But above them, and encased in a dome of glass and metal was a large, and very discolored brain.

"This can't be happening..." Tao muttered. "Its power is much greater than all of ours...and I have almost nothing left." a wild look formed on his face. "I'm not going out without a fight though."

"Try all you want, it will all be in vain." the cyborg let out a rumbling noise. "My assistant, dead thanks to you. I plan on making you pay, but not in the way you think. First I'm going to crush you, then I'll take your body. After that, I'll use it to kill each of your little friends here."

"Friends? These people are nothing of the sort. I'm a killer by trade, what use would I have for such useless things?" metal rubbed against metal, as he tightened his fist. "I will not though, allow you to put that brain of yours into my body. If that means my death, then so be it. I'll never be anyone's puppet!"

Running along the ground, he aimed a blow at Wheelo's left shin. This was thwarted when the doctor jumped high into the air. Not even giving Tao the chance to catch his balance, he quickly bent his leg at the knee and sped down, driving it into his opponents spine.

Yowling in pain, Tao fired a blast that caught the mechanical monster in the midsection. But other than knocking it back a few feet the attack did nothing. Except piss Doctor Wheelo off. With a roar he formed his hand into a crude fist, before sending it crashing into the other's skull.

Landing on all fours, he willed himself to stop moving as he dug his good hand into the ground. Master Roshi kicked Wheelo in the head, knocking the monstrous cyborg to the side. Feinting to the left, the Turtle hermit managed to sweep its legs out from under it. Faster than expected, Doctor Wheelo recovered, grabbing Master Rosh by the head with his massive fingers.

"Now, aren't we the amusing one? I was going to kill you using his body, but you're proving to be a stubborn annoyance. One that needs to be eliminated." he rumbled in a robotic baritone.

"Special Beam Cannon!"

The corkscrew shaped beam crashed into his back, melting a small portion of the armor.

"Damn...I finally get that right and it doesn't do crap! Chi Chi collapsed, barely maintaining consciousness.

_When did she learn that?_ Master Roshi questioned himself. _Surely Piccolo wouldn't have had the patience to teach her that... _he shook his head, knowing that he was the only one left that might be able to finish the mechanized abomination off. It was a big risk, but he had been working on a new variation of his Kamehameha. It was powerful, more so than the Super version that both he and Goku had made use of in the past. But it caused such a strain on the body that made it impractical in its current form.

Of course, alone he would be killed in minutes anyway. So he had to to it.

"Seems that everyone else is down for the count. From my calculations, your chances of winning are less than .5%. I'll terminate you, and then claim my future body!" groaning, his mechanically augmented body began glowing in an unnaturally dark light.

"So be it. I might die, but at least this should stop you." Master Roshi bulked up his muscles, far more than before. Energy popped and fizzed around him, and he grew several more inches, till he was even bigger than the time that he blasted the moon.

Instead of the usual stance, he held his hands less than a foot in front of his face. Then, with his curled fingers mere inches apart, he began the chant. "Grand...Ka...Meeeee..." More energy hissed around him, and his body began pushing the metal below him down. "Haaa..." the blue energy in his hands grew much darker...till it was nearly as black as the night sky." meeee...HAAAAA!"

He thrust his hands forward, thumbs barely touching, and a beam of tremendous size and width shot out from them.

It struck the Doctor full on slowly pushing him back. Wheelo could feel the gears in his arms beginning to warp and melt. Yet the madman had no intentions on giving up. His aura increased in size, and he managed to bring his movement to a halt.

Seeing that his move was being stalemated, the old hermit redoubled his efforts, drawing even more energy to the surface. That was when he noticed a flaw in his technique. It was very powerful, but it lacked the density needed to truly end Doctor Wheelo. With a final yell, he willed his own energy to compress. This was then focus entirely on the upper portion of the cyborgs body.

This time he wasn't just being pushed back. The metal in his arms was giving way, and the circuitry beginning to short out. At last, both of his appendages snapped. With nothing standing in the way, the ki wave quickly consumed Doctor Wheelos upper body, causing his brain to boil in its dome before melting away completely.

Once he knew the deed was done, Master Roshi ceased pouring energy into the wave. Eyes rolling back in his head, he fell to the ground.

...

Whether it was a few minutes or hours, he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that they had won. Yet he wondered how he had survived. All that energy he put into killing the mad doctor should have finished him as well. As he stood up, he felt an arm fall off of him. When he looked, his eyes widened in surprise. Tao, for some reason he had given him some of his own energy. What possessed him to do such a thing, Master Roshi had no clue.

Chi Chi was slowly picking herself up, and after sensing that the mercenary was still alive, he went to her side.

"I guess we won then." her legs felt like jello, so to her chagrin she had to lean on the pervert for support. When Master Roshi nodded she gave a weak smile. "What about them though, we've done our part. Yet...It doesn't feel right to leave them. Especially not after he saved your life."

"That is correct. It would be a poor way to repay him. Besides, my life isn't the only one he has saved. During the battle with the Saiyans, who do you think provided the distraction needed for Yajoribe to save Goku?"

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Master Roshi: 1,620

Master Roshi (Bulked up): 1,780 ranging to 1,940

Master Roshi (Grand Kamehameha): 2,718

Chi Chi: 1,497

Chi Chi (Kamehameha): 1,892

Chi Chi (Weakened and flawed Special Beam Canon): 2,000

Mercenary Tao: 1,400

Mercenary Tao (Dodon Ray): 2,068

Mercenary Tao (Dodon Blast): 2,440

Crane Hermit: 1,385 rising to 1,700. Normal power under 1,000

Doctor Kochin: 40

Doctor Kochin (Firing temporal distortion blast): 1,600

Kishimen: 1,300

Misosan: 1,240

Katsumoto: 1,480

Bio-men (On Master Roshi's island): 750

Bio-men (Defective batch): 500

Bio-men (Enhanced): 998

Doctor Wheelo: 2,300

Doctor Wheelo (Fully charged up): 2,550


	16. Deals and Negotiations

A/N: I apologize for the longer than expected wait. A lot has happened in my life, moving, medical problems, relationship issues. So that has kept me from being able to update as soon as I would have liked to. For those who have stuck around, thank you all for your time and patience. For the one guest who told me that I'd get more reviews is I updated more, that was not only very obvious but rude as well. I do this in my spar time, and on top of all the other problems I work a full time job and have a wife and child.

I've also came to the conclusion that it would be best if I cut down on chapter length a bit. I would be able to update faster, and there would be less pressure on myself. So that is why this one is shorter than in the past. Instead of 7.5-10k chapters, expect 4-6k to be the new standard. And hopefully slightly more frequent updates once my personal affairs are fully sorted out.

A personal shout out to ShadowLDrago, who has taken a lot out of his/her free time to review so many of my chapters. I'll respond to you via PM soon, along with other reviewers. Just don't be upset if it takes me a while, since I have a lot going on still.

For now, R&R and enjoy the chapter.

* * *

><p>Namek was nothing like what they expected. Sure, the planet itself was nice and peaceful. But the sheer amount of trouble that they had run into since arriving was both highly annoying and very troubling. At least that was what Yamcha was thinking, though he knew that Krillin and Gohan would probably agree.<p>

In front of him a certain half Saiyan came to a halt mid flight.

"You felt it too then." Krillin stopped a second after, causing Yamcha to nearly crash into him.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, Vegeta. He fought that big blob looking guy...and from what I sensed he won."

"Then why are we stopping, if Vegeta is that strong shouldn't we be moving even faster out of here!" Try as he might, Yamcha couldn't keep his voice free of panic.

"Because he and that bald guy aren't even following us...right before they lowered their powers I sensed them moving that way." Krillin pointed to the left. "Now that we got a minute, we should probably explain who we are to these guys."

"Well. I don't think you owe us anything. You did save both of our lives, something we are in your debt for." the old Namekian said, nearly startling Yamcha into dropping him.

"My mom always told me that it was rude to not introduce oneself, so...my name is Gohan." he scratched the back of his head as he spoke.

Following the Demi-Saiyans lead, Yamcha spoke up next. "I'm Yamcha, and the short one is Krillin."

The monk simply shook his head at the teasing. It was nothing to him now.

"I am Moori. Elder Namekian of the Wondwiod village. Or I was, till those monsters arrived. This here is Dende. My younger brother of sorts."

"How...how is that possible?" It was the half saiyan that asked the question. "I mean, he is just a kid and you are so much...older."

"Gohan, I thought you had better manners than that." Krillin said jokingly.

The former bandit laughed at the remark. "Well, Goku was his father you know..."

Moori gave a puzzled look, til he realized that they were speaking in jest.

Still, the child did look a bit embarrassed by how he had phrased the question."Don't worry my boy, I'm not offended by that." the elder smiled softly." We, the remaining children of Namek are all descendants of the grand elder _Saichoro. _He was one of the few to survive the great cataclysm. That event nearly caused our extinction. Only he, Katas and one other lived. I know little of the the third, but Katas himself died over two centuries ago. Both mine and Dende's father was one of Saichoro's youngest children."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I...suppose that makes sense. "

He let go, not realizing that his passenger was hovering in front of him still.

Krillin looked at the being with a bit of surprise. "Wait, you can fly little guy?"

Dende nodded "Yes. We all can. That is something taught to us when we are children."

"So, I take it those guys were after the dragonballs as well then?" Yamcha guessed, trying to get back to the current situation.

Moori nodded wearily. "That they were. Despicable, all of them. That one who followed us was especially cruel, and though I normally am a peaceful being I must say he got exactly as he deserved."

Krillin released an aggravated sigh. "How are we supposed to survive against any of them...there is a good chance that even if we try and be stealthy that we'll cross paths with them sooner or later. If and when that happens, we have no chance as we are. Then...then there is Vegeta and the big guy..."

"I think I know someone who might be able to help you." he rubbed a sore spot on his arm. "Remember the elder I spoke of? I'll take you to him...He should be able to offer some assistance. And he has a dragonball, which I know you people seek. From what I can see, you have good intentions, so I can see no reason for him not to let you have it. Especially if it means keeping Frieza from having all seven."

Pointing a wrinkled finger off to the east, he gave a thin smile. "This way, you'll have to fly a bit slower to match my pace though."

"I think I'll take, Dende right?-" the Namekian boy shook his head up and down. "I'll take Dende back to where Bulma is...he needs to be somewhere a little safer."

"Probably a good idea. I think I'll tag along with Krillin, see what this business with that elder is all about. You alright to fly back by yourself?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Long as I keep my power down I should be fine."

"Alright then kid, you are the strongest one of us after all." Yamcha sounded almost dejected, like he was disappointed in himself in some way.

...

Zarbon slowly plodded his way to Frieza's private room aboard the ship. The report was, that Dodoria had been killed. By Vegeta of all people. _Stupid fool...he probably egged that monkey on...if he had waited we could have easily taken them out. No loss to me though..Lord Frieza on the other hand._

He pressed the button and took a single step into the chamber, bowing as he did so. "Lord Frieza, the scouts have reported back. Dodoria...Dodoria us dead."

Frieza's beady red eyes went wide in shock. "Dead?! How the hell did that happen?"

Hands trembling slightly, Zarbon met his leaders gaze. "Vegeta...it was Vegeta sire."

"I see." In a flash Frieza crossed the gap between them. His sudden movement gave the teal haired man a hell of a fright. Good at hiding emotions as he was, he couldn't help but show a great deal of fear. And with Frieza, sometimes it was healthier to do so. Anything else could be taken as a challenge to his authority.

"Little Vegeta is really getting in over his head now." the lizard gave a cruel smile. "If only he had an idea of what he was truly trifling with, perhaps he would have second thoughts in regards to betraying me. Then again...perhaps not. Perhaps this is fate."

"His power has grown greatly lord Frieza...far more than I would have expected even after such a near death experience. Much more and I'm not sure we'll be able to contain him." Zarbon bit his tongue, but it was already spoken.

"Is that doubt I'm hearing in your voice, Zarbon? Do I really have to demonstrate my power to restore your frail confidence in my ability to handle such a simple situation?" It was a rhetorical question, one that couldn't be answered either way without fear of punishment.

With the lightest flick of his wrist, Zarbon was blasted to the ground by a kiai. Then, the tyrant looked at a mountain many miles off into the distance. A single light flashed over his eyes, and the entire thing erupted into a massive ball of light. So fierce were the winds that Frieza decided to put up a barrier around the ship, to keep it from sustaining any damage.

"See that, and that was but the merest fraction of my power. There is nothing to fear from Vegeta or the general."

...

Both Saiyans threw up their arms, before being blasted down into the dirt.

"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed the prince. "Frieza, it has to be. Who else has a power like that!"

Nappa gave a nervous chuckle. "I felt that too...good think I had my scouter off or it would have shorted out instantly. In fact," he pulled the device of his face before crushing it in his hand. "-I don't think I'll need it any more. I'm starting to figure out how to sense stuff...and those things can only go so high before they blow up."

"Smarter than you look Nappa, I'll give you that." he was standing proud, arms folded over his chest. That was hiding how he truly felt inside, about taking on Frieza. "That bastard...Freiza is going to fall. We will get our wish, and sooner or later he'll meet his deaths at the hands of a Saiyan. After that...his brother is next!"

...

Yamcha's face went completely white. Off in the distance, the mushroom cloud was clearly visible. Luckily they were far enough so that they wouldn't be effected by the winds or blast wave, but the power coming off of it was a different story.

"Is that what Frieza can do?" Krillin was shocked at how much power the lizard could put out. "Man, we were lucky back there. He could have fried us all in an instant if he'd felt like it."

"No joke. We were pretty fortunate all right. So," he turned as he addressed Moori.", how much further is it to this grand elder...cause it feels like we've been flying for over an hour now."

"Still a ways off I'm afraid...I'd say we are maybe a third of the way there."

"Too bad we can't just grab you and fly faster...but that could end up leading Vegeta and Frieza straight to us. We're taking a big enough risk as it is using this much power." Krillin shook his head, fully annoyed with the situation.

...

"This is it." Gohan touched down at the same time as Dende did. They didn't have to walk far inside before finding a large metal door. Softly Gohan tapped on it. "Bulma...you in here?"

There was a clattering noise from inside, then footsteps. Gohan took a step back just before the door flew open.

"You guys sure took your-" she looked, seeing that not only were the men absent but that there was a small Namekian child with the half-Saiyan. "Wait...first, where are Krillin and Yamcha? And second, who is this little guy?"

"His name is Dende. We rescued him and the village elder." he clenched his fist, thinking of what happened back there.

Bulma looked confused, before a realization hit her. "You don't mean...the same ones who tried to blow up the ship when we landed...the group that had people even stronger than Vegeta?"

Gohan nodded.

...

Yamcha looked wide eyed at the Namekian home situated at the top of a large pillar of rock. "That's where he lives then." he ran his finger over the stubble on his chin. "Sure is something else...talk about a view."

Krillin found himself agreeing with that statement. "Sure can say that again."

A few seconds passed before they landed right in front of the main door. Both humans went pale almost instantly. "Holy...you feel that ki Krillin?"

His shorter counterpart nodded. "Uh huh. Very powerful, even more then what I sensed from Vegeta when he was on Earth. Is that the elder you were talking about Moori?"

Shaking his head, the wrinkly Namek gave a small smile. "No...I'm afraid not. He is well past his prime, and his days of defending the planet long since put behind him. No, that would one of his other children."

"Nail." he said, greeting the younger Namekian as the door opened.

"...Moori of the village of Wondwiod?" the one called Nail said. Yet it was said with a sense of toned down joy, not actual surprise. "So what Lord _Saichoro _saw was correct. These people...they are from a planet called Earth, are they not?"

Moori gave him a look confirming it was true. "Yes, that they are brother. They, with the help of a young boy saved me and Dende from _him_." the last word was said with venom. It was very obvious who he was referring to.

"To my knowledge, most of the people were alive...but I shudder to think of what has become of them since we left. What I do know is that they almost certainly will have taken our Dragon ball. Only Lord Saichoro's and one other remain. These people seek the sacred orbs themselves...though I am quite sure that their intentions are far more pure than those of the frost demon and his ilk."

Nail nodded gruffly. "Yes, that much seems to be true. The grand elder should see them right away...he alone can determine if they are truly worthy. No offense intended to either of you."

"None taken. Believe me, I understand why you might not trust any outsiders right now." As they followed him inside, Krillin whispered to Yamcha at how much this Namek reminded him of Piccolo.

"He really does. If Piccolo were actually friendly that is."

...

Safe to say, when they walked in, they sure weren't expecting this.

The Namekian Grand Elder was enormous, more than twice the height of the one known as Nail. Age had taken a tremendous toll on his body, and it seemed that he was even incapable of standing. Overweight, with more wrinkles than either human could even count, it was obvious that he wasn't long for life.

"So...you're the grand elder...Sach...Saicharo..." Yamcha bowed his head slightly. He also felt embarrassed at his inability to even pronounce the Namekian's name properly.

"Do not let that trouble you, child of Earth." despite his age and condition, his voice rang with the power and inflection of youth. There was also an innate kindness in it's tone. "If you wish, you may refer to me as Guru. It is after all, what _Saichoro _means in your language."

Yamcha looked up at him, relieved that he hadn't upset the ancient being. "Thank you...Guru then...that is easier for me to say. So you know where we are from...Earth?"

"Indeed I do. For the past few Namekian cycles I've been having visions. They have had much to do with the recent attack on our people...and of your group as well. I also believe that I can help you, in more than one way."

"So you know that we need the Dragonballs, right?" Quickly Krillin went on, not wanting to give the wrong idea. "We want to bring back some close friends, that were killed in a battle. Our Namekian was one of those killed, so the Earth no longer has it's own balls."

"A Namek you say...so the son of Katas is no more...a sad day this is. I've seen glimpses of him as well...of great internal conflict between good and evil...how he split into two halves...I saw the reincarnation of the evil half...and how he turned his back on his darker heritage." the elder sighed in sadness, over the loss of another brother.

Yamcha gave him a wide eyed look. "You can see all that then...that's amazing. Then you probably should know that is why we need to use your Dragonballs. To bring him and the rest of our fallen friends back to life."

"Not everything. My visions tend to come in pieces...so much is unknown even to me. But allowing you the use of our most sacred relics...that should be acceptable. From what I can see...you're intentions are pure...so perhaps I can do you two another favor. Step closer so that I may place my hand upon your head." Saichoro raised a withered hand, motioning him to come forwards.

Yamcha shrugged his shoulders, then took a few steps closer to the ancient one. "Like this then.."

Saichoro slowly moved his hand, till it was resting mere inches over the former bandits head. Then it began to glow faintly. "Yes...I can't say that you're heart is pure by any means...you are however a noble being with only the best intentions. I will allow you to take my Dragonball, as well as give you my full blessing."

"Further, I can see that you have much insecurity over lacking the power needed to assist your friends and allies. Strength is not everything..that I must make clear to you, but in these turbulent days it could mean the difference between life and death. I can see that you have great potential, still untapped just beneath the surface. If you wish, I could bring it out for you."

It only took a moment for Yamcha to make up his mind. To him it was obvious. "Yes...that would help us a lot. This won't cause you any harm in the process, because I would never trade someones life for my own gain."

"No, it will not. And do not fret for me child for my days are already numbered. Now then, if you're ready I shall begin." When the former thief nodded, the elder took it as his cue. The glow around his hand intensified a dozen fold, and a white aura enveloped Yamcha, distorting his appearance from any outside observers perspective. Nearly half a minute later and Saichoro withdrew his hand abruptly.

"There...I've released all that I could. You have tremendous reserves...far more than I ever accounted for. But I've broken the barrier, and it should be far easier for you to gain strength in the future through training." he took several deep breaths, fatigued from the effort.

Krillin stood by mouth agape, utterly flabbergasted by the increase. "Sweet Kami, your power shot through the roof Yamcha...you might even be able to give Vegeta a run for his money now."

"Heh...maybe if I fought him as he was on Earth I could win...right now I'm not so sure. If that gave me such a boost, who knows what it would do for you." he gave the bald man a hopeful smirk.

"No doubt it would do much the same for him..." Saichoro interrupted. "I'll need some time to rest before doing the same for you...perhaps an amount of time equal to six of your Earth hours."

A sweat drop appeared over Krillin's head. "Well I don't mind the wait...but someone needs to let Bulma and Gohan know we're okay."

Namek's grand elder gave them a smile. "You could have me pass the message along to young Dende...I can sense that he is with them right now. That shouldn't be too taxing for my body."

"Fine by me."

...

Nappa was just about to say something to Vegeta when he felt something prick his emerging senses. "Say Vegeta...you feel that?"

The flame haired prince shot him an irritated look. "How in the world could I not, simpleton. I'd have to be completely incompetent not to. Strange that I can't quite pinpoint the direction though...surely it isn't one of those Earthlings." he snorted in amusement. "Pretty strong though, if I had to guess I'd say close to Dodoria's power."

"Sounds about right. Hmm..." he trailed off as he felt the power become more obscured. "Looks like whoever it was just covered it up. Smart of them, since the last thing they'd want is to get Frieza's attention."

Vegeta agreed with a grunt.

...

"Can't believe they up and left us stranded like that!" Bulma stomped down on the ground with her leg.

"Probably Yamcha's idea...man can never pass up on a chance to run off and ditch me!" she looked and realized that not only was Gohan giving her a funny look, but that she had also scared the young Namekian that was next to him.

"Hey...sorry about that guys, I think I'm just over reacting a bit. All this stress gets to a girl you know." She smiled weakly in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment with her outbrust. And to hide the fact that she was still seething beneath the facade.

Gohan shook his head, which was throbbing thanks to her shouting. "Maybe so...you can't sense it, but for a second I felt one of their ki's go up. Enough that I think we could hold our own against the other Saiyans...maybe." of course he knew who it was that powered up, but decided to omit that out of fear of drawing the womans ire onto himself.

"For now, I guess all we can do is wait." Bulma ran her hands through her hair, before slumping up against the wall.

...

Hours passed, and soon Krillin became privy to what Yamcha had already gotten. Needless to say, he was more than ecstatic about it. Something bothered him, and that was Yamcha poking fun at him.

"Real funny...make fun of me for being a little bit weaker than you now." the monk smirked at the former bandit. "Now I know how you feel...you know, being the weakest." he jabbed Yamcha in the ribs, earning an irritated grunt from the other.

Wishing to change the focus, he thought of something else. "You know something, we really should see if Guru here can unlock Gohan's power as well...he was stronger than us before, and he is part Saiyan. No telling what it would do for him."

"If that is fine with you, I mean." he laughed nervously, hoping that he hadn't somehow insulted the elderly Namek.

Saichoro took in a deep breath, coughing slightly as he exhaled. "I would be able to do so. But I would need a couple of days before doing so. The two of you had a wealth of power, and it drained me far more than I'd ever anticipated. In addition, if this child is half Saiyan as you say, I will need all the strength I can get to bring out his latent potential."

...

Zarbon watched as his lord paced back and forth. He had been doing it for hours, only stopping once for some unknown reason. When he came to a halt again, the teal haired man saw a dark gleam in his eyes.

"Something bothering you lord Frieza?" he made sure of course, to phrase that as non intrusively as possible. It was never wise to do so with such a volatile being. Especially one that could vaporize you with a single thought.

Frieza picked up on the apprehension, and the fear. Part of him enjoyed it, made him feel even more empowered than he already was. Yet it also bothered him. He was not his brother, and did not like to execute his soldiers for no reason at all. Least of all not one so loyal as Zarbon. But he would never speak of such things, lest he appear weak. It was unbecoming of someone of his stature to stoop to such a level. That didn't mean he entirely enjoyed seeing one of his closest associates view him with so little trust.

"No Zarbon. I am intrigued by what I felt to be sure, but see no need to fret over the matter. I suspect that it might have been the same beings that blind sided Dodoria and took those two Namekians into their custody...not that it really matters in the end. Next to me, they are but wisps of paper against a mighty typhoon. Vegeta is without doubt the stronger and more pressing threat, if you could call him that."

Frieza clasped both hands behind his back, closing his eyes as he spoke. "My only concern is that they somehow stumbled onto another settlement, one that is a little more adept at hiding energy. If that is the case, then they may have already acquired one of the dragon balls. That would make them obstacles in my quest, and we all know what happens to those who get in my way."

Zarbon nodded his head. He knew all to well how efficient his lord could be in dealing with those who made a nuisance of themselves. The results often times were not pretty.

...

Vegeta and Nappa exchanged a glance, before looking down at the village.

"And are we clear on this Nappa?" he shot a look at the Saiyan general, as if daring him to try and argue. The taller man huffed, but bit his tongue back.

"No destroying the village, we can't risk you blowing up one of the dragon balls. And no killing anyone unless I say so, I have a feeling they will cooperate better if we don't start purging them right away." he smiled viciously. "After all, the threat alone should be enough to convince them to see things our way. It would never do if we started throwing away bargaining chips before the first hand is dealt."

Nappa acknowledged his prince with a simple nod. Following that, the two quickly descended, attracting attention almost immediately.

"You there." an aging Namek, supported by a staff, hailed them. Slowly he began plodding his way over to the Saiyans. "What brings you to our village? We have been hearing much word of what has been happening, attacks on other villages. A frost demon by the name of Frieza...you two, you aren't with him are you?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Fool...you really think I'd align myself with that bastard?

I despise him with every fiber of my being...which is why my associate and I seek your planets dragonballs. My power can't even begin to compare, but if I were unable to die...that might tip the scales in my favor. Don't you agree?" ki flickered up and down his body, and he allowed it to surge around his hand. It wasn't exactly a subtle threat, and the prince smirked upon seeing the fear in the elders eyes.

Vegeta's smile faded slightly when the old Namek refused to back down.

"So it's as I feared...you two are no different from him...wretched evil beings...I will never surrender our dragonball to someone who would misuse them in such a way." he took a step toward Vegeta, giving the prince the sternest glare he could muster.

"Senile old slug...you have a lot of nerve to compare me to Frieza." the prince narrowed his eyes, feeling bizarrely elated at the resistance offered. Even if it was only verbal and doomed to fail, it was an interesting development. "Now...you have a few options. All of them end with us taking that dragonball of course. But depending on what you pick, could mean the difference between life and death for all of them." Vegeta pointed to the rest of the village.

"So..." his voiced deepened slightly, as a menacing edge slipped into his tone. "What will it be? Hand it over now and I promise we will leave you in peace, that I swear on the honor of the Saiyan race."

"Why...why should I?" he looked at Vegeta warily. No obvious signs of deception, but not enough to convince him. Not right away. "You want to wish for that...a gross abuse of the dragons power...and I can still feel that your intentions are far from pure. I will only consider this if you can answer that."

A vein bulged on his head, but before he knew it Vegeta felt his anger slowly beginning to simmer down. Enough that he found himself laughing out loud. "Look at this...very amusing indeed. Speaking as if you're actually in control of the situation...but I'll humor you this one time.

Despite what you might think, I do not like slaughtering pests that can't even put up a fight."

Vegeta shook his head. "I don't want it just for personal gain...Normally I would never have considered it...but I know how strong Frieza is...surely you slimy fucks have an idea, if you can sense energy that is. And I know that he gets much stronger...that is why we need to be immortal...it is the only way that I'll be able to realize the legend in time."

"And then there is Raditz..." Nappa mused, more to himself than anyone else. "If we could we would like to bring him back...but only if we get the other wish."

"I see...otherwise you would be dooming him to certain death...very interesting..."

"Enough of this tripe. Only weaklings worry excesively over such matters...now if you know what is good for you. And your village, you will hand over that ball." For emphasis Vegeta merely flicked his wrist, blasting a massive trench into the ground just outside the furthest houses.

"So...what will it be green man? Life or death..it all rests in your hands."

Sweat dripping down his face, the Namekian looked to the sky as he contemplated the decision. "I...

...

Piccolo walked away from the Kaio. And he felt a measure of relief that none of them were seriously harmed. Of course those who caused the problem were weak. Even before he died he would have wiped them out easily, and now he could probably do so with little more than a wave of his hand.

It still served as a reminder that anything could happen, that threats could easily materialize in almost the blink of an eye. The Namekian demon knew that he was powerful, enough to go toe to toe with Vegeta. But it wasn't enough. He had to push further...concentrating mentally he focused on his weighted clothing. After a second or so he felt the weight triple, and himself being pulled to the ground.

Exactly what he wanted. To be stronger, to never find himself unprepared for unexpected foes.

...

Pushing himself onto one knee, he slung his mane of black hair from his eyes. It was arid here, much like the world he once hailed from. But there was no time to reflect, as before he knew what was happening his opponent drove a foot onto his spine, pushing him face down into the brimstone scented sand.

"Weakling." the other spat. "You always said that you were tired of being called that in that little group of yours, yet the same still seems to be holding true about you here."

Raising his head, the younger man looked up to meet the gaze of his oppressor. There was a smirk running across his face, with the hellish amber light making it look that much more devious. The scar across his left cheek didn't make him look any more friendly either.

"I'm not a fucking weakling!" it hurt to yell, but he was damned if he would go down this easily.

"Prove it to me then." he moved his foot off before kicking the downed warrior in the ribs, sending him skidding across the rocky ground. When the man with the scar saw his opponent slowly get to his fee he smirked, before tracing his fingers over the red bandanna on his head. "That's right, show me your Saiyan pride boy!"

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Vegeta: Same

Nappa: Same

Krillin (Potential unlocked): 23,800

Yamcha (Potential unlocked): 23,950

Frieza (Small burst of power): 75,000

Nail (Suppressed): 23,500

...

?#1 (Highly suppressed): 25,000

?#2: 15,000


	17. A Day to Remember

A/N: Another month, another chapter. Sorry to all that it took this long, only for a 5k word chapter...but let me explain.

A crap ton of things have been going on in my life. Relationship issues, that none of you need to really know for starters. Medical issues, surgery namely. But now that I'm mostly functional again things should start going a bit more smoothly. Expect the occasional hiccup along the way, but I'm hoping to get a chapter out at least every 3 1/2 to 4 weeks.

Not sure what else to add, except another thank you to everyone that has stuck with this story up till this point. For now I guess just read, review and (Hopefully) enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

><p>Flying away with the dragon ball tucked firmly under his arm, the prince felt a certain sense of accomplishment. It wasn't how he initially set out to get the ball, but Vegeta knew that things didn't always work out the way one expected or wanted them too. His life was proof enough of that.<p>

"You know something Nappa?"

Hearing his name, he turned his head. "What's that?"

"These things sure have a funny way of working themselves out. Appule, Cui and Dodoira. They crossed us, and look where that got them." he licked his lips, savoring the memories. "We found this dragonball, and we took it."

"And we didn't even have to-" Nappa started off, before being silenced by a threatening look.

"Not another word Nappa. I mean it." Vegeta said with a cold calculating frown.

...

_Unknown amount of time prior. Far out in the depths of space._

"Well King Kai just got back with me about the situation on Earth." He was smiling proudly. Something that brought a measure of relief to the samurai.

"So what, they won then?" When the saiyan nodded he let out a hearty laugh. "Ha, I knew that those crazy doctors wouldn't have a chance."

Goku's expression turned more serious. It was subtle, and anyone who hadn't known him would never have noticed it. "Yeah...but I was still worried. I knew they could, but there was this thought telling me...what if they lost...I would have been powerless to get to them in time...and I know I'll be needed on Namek."

Yajirobe shook his head. "Too bad their isn't some way that you could teleport from place to place on a whim...sure would come in handy."

Goku knew it was an attempt at cracking a joke and easing the tension, but the idea made him think. "It sure would...if something like that did exist I'd have been able to get back in time to save everyone on Earth."

It would have done a lot of good...too late to dwell on it now.

"I can't let that get me down though...the others are counting on us to be as strong as possible, so if you're ready then I think we should kick our training into high gear. How does seventy five times gravity sound?"

A drop of sweat dripped down the other mans face. "Ehh...I'm just getting used to where we are...you can if you want. But it'll just slow you down if you try to match my pace...I can work my way up to that level on my own, and you can set it to whatever when it's just you in here."

Goku gave a pouting look, but nodded in compliance. "I guess..." the expression quickly changed to one of glee. One that made the swordsman a little wary when he saw the gleam in Goku's eye. "But you owe me a spar from before..what do ya say?"

Yajorobe nodded his head, laughing nervously while doing so. "No can do buddy, this samurai has a hot date with a cold sandwich. "

...

Yamcha sighed in resignation. "Guess it'll be me going this time...hopefully I won't end up running across Vegeta or that Frieza guy then."

Krillin smiled, knowing that it wasn't really a laughing matter. "Hey man, relax. Just be quick, and if you sense anything hide and drop your power down."

"Right then...you make it sound so easy. This is what I get for being the strongest right now isn't it?" he shook his head as Krillin clapped him on the back.

Holding onto the Dragonball with care, he gathered his energy and shot off. Flying as fast as he dared to go, he could only hope that he wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.

Should he stumble on Vegeta, the former bandit at least figured he stood a fighting chance. But if it were Frieza or any of his men...Yamcha did not like thinking about his odds. Another thought started nagging at him, one that made him question whether facing down Frieza and Vegeta was so bad after all.

Bulma.

...

"Damn him...not one Namekian in sight." Zarbon pinched the bridge of his nose. More perplexing was that not a building around had so much as a scratch on it. He had already checked all of them. For more than one reason. "And no sign of a dragonball anywhere. Lord Frieza is going to be most unhappy when he hears about this."

Taking to the sky he took a moment to consider whether or not to simply obliterate the settlement. Some destruction would be good stress relief, but he refrained. If there was still one of the dragon balls hidden he would risk destroying it as well. Should that come to pass, Zarbon knew his days would be very numbered.

Then there was his obsession with beauty and perfection. So while he didn't much care for the architecture or aesthetic, it was a still considerably better than having a smoking crater in its place.

Rather than mull over the matter he opted to speed off. Not in the direction of the ship, not yet. First he needed to clear his head. And perhaps see if he could chase a certain little monkey out of hiding. Not having a scouter just made that a little more of a challenge.

...

"Nappa, off your ass now...seems like someone decided to venture out on their own. And it feels a lot like that power that spiked up a few hours ago...so now would be the perfect time to see just who it is that we might be up against."

"Finally...I knew they would come out of hiding sooner or later." he flexed his hands, before taking of behind Vegeta.

Speeding as fast as possible, the prince soon gained a massive lead on his weaker subordinate. Not that it mattered since he knew he could handle the situation.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a glowing speck, that seemed be be getting closer at an alarming rate. Going by the power output...he had a good guess on who it was.

"Monkey!" Zarbon raised his arm to block the incoming kick, the force sending both rebounding over a meter backward.

Folding his arms over his chest, Vegeta gave a look of defiance. "If it isn't Frieza's favorite little concubine. So shocking to find you out here...Frieza must be getting desperate if he's making you get those dainty hands dirty."

Ignoring the comment, Zarbon flicked his shoulder length hair back over his shoulder. "Say what you will, it won't change a thing. I'll have you know lord Frieza is quite displeased with you Saiyans and your meddlesome behavior. An entire village, and not a being around to...probe for information

I believe you and the general had something to do with it...and the disappearance of a dragonball. Surely you know something about that as well. I'm willing to make a deal with you savages...hand it over right now and I'll try and persuade my lord to go easy on you."

"I could." he snorted. "But what fun would that be? Surrender without a fight...surely you don't expect that from a Saiyan. Least of all not one of my rank. Maybe you should back down, before you end up like Dodoria and the others."

Zarbon allowed both arms to fall to his side."Don't underestimate me Vegeta. I'm nothing like those uncivilized brutes...treat me as such and you will not live to regret it."

With a frown, Vegeta slipped into a stance. "That so...care to prove it then?

Go on...the first move is yours."

With caution Zarbon eyed his opponent. One wrong move and he would be playing right into the Saiyan's hands. That much was obvious.

Smirking, he feigned a rush attack. As Vegeta himself moved forward Zarbon revealed his true strategy and fired a burst of violet ki from his palm. Caught by surprise, the prince still easily flipped underneath it. And found himself quickly blocking a knee to the face.

He aimed a punch with his free arm, but before it connected the taller fighter twisted to the side and had struck back with a swift jab that caught Vegeta on the cheek. It knocked him back a few feet, but in a second he was already delivering a strike to Zarbon's temple. The latter fell back with haste. He was practically seeing stars and his head was throbbing thanks to the punch.

Vegeta didn't give him much time, flying at him in a fury. Each blow from the Saiyan was payed back in kind, with Zaron punishing him harshly for each ill-timed attack.

"So you weren't all talk." the prince spat out some blood. "Not that I expected it. Unlike them you actually know proper technique. I would say that your skill almost measures up to my own." he smirked a second later. "But you're still lacking in power. And that will be what decides this fight..."

Phasing out of sight, he slammed head first into Zarbon's unguarded stomach. With a pained cry the other brought his leg up, slamming Vegeta in the jaw with the tip of his boot.

Another quick exchanged went by. Then another. Pausing to catch their collective breath, one thing was clear to Zarbon. Neither had taken any notable damage, but it was becoming obvious where the fight was heading. Vegeta wasn't breathing hard at all, and seemed like he could keep fighting at the same pace forever. Himself on the other hand...while he had plenty of stamina left in him, it wouldn't last for to much longer.

At the level they were fighting at it was all he could do just to keep avoiding the worst of what Vegeta was throwing his way. Dexterity and grace were his strong points, and they were the only thing that had been saving him thus far from getting maimed.

Well, there was one other way. Beauty was very important to him. But then again so was breathing, and when push turned to shove Zarbon knew which choice he would make.

Zarbon found himself laughing at the smug look on the other's face. Vegeta had no idea of what he had gotten himself caught up in. Soon enough he would see.

"Do tell what's so funny Zarbon. For someone whose life could end at any given second, you're in awfully good spirits." Vegeta clenched a gloved fist when the mocking laughter only increased in volume. "What's the matter 'pretty' boy, madness already setting in?"

Energy swirled around, making his hair twist as if it were an open flame. "Well then, allow me to bring your worst fears to life!" with a shout he launched himself at his opponent. Zarbon caught the first punch before being hammered into the ground with an elbow strike.

Slowly he stood up without even bothering to wipe the blood from his face. "You're going to pay for that Vegeta. You should consider yourself privileged, monkey, not many get to see this side of me. I despise having to take on the form, but sometimes beauty has to cave to the beast within."

An eyebrow shot up, and the Saiyan gave a smirk. "Is that so...forgive me for not trembling in fear." he spoke mockingly.

"By the time I'm through you'll wish you'd never crossed me." Zarbon raised his arms to the sky, letting out a primal scream in the process. A deep green aura flashed around him, forming a small crater in the ground. The muscles in his limbs bulged, swelling to unnatural proportions. Gaining nearly a foot in height, his chest and abdomen expanded rapidly to match his arms and legs.

His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as his face ballooned out, his feminine features rapidly contorting into something resembling an ogre or troll.

With the transformation complete Zarbon's aura faded away. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his arms and flashed a toothy grin at the prince. "See now Vegeta what you've gotten yourself into?"

His voice was much deeper. Harsher, and lacking the refinement one would associate with him. "I'm nothing like I was before. No more playing nice...but don't worry little prince, I won't break you. Not completely at least."

In a blinding display of speed he charged, with Vegeta avoiding the fist by the thinnest of margins. Kicking off the ground, he aimed to put as much distance as possible between him and the monster he was facing. Racing into the clouds of Namek, he took a quick breath.

"He really wasn't bluffing. I'll be damned if I let him win..." he felt the other's ki explode below him, and aimed a blast as Zarbon entered his line of sight. To no avail, as the beast smacked it away with practiced ease. Vegeta raised an arm to block, the force of the blow rattling his teeth. Lashing out with a shot of his own, only for Zarbon to block it. With seemingly little effort.

"Now I got you!" Grinning as he grabbed his Saiyan opponent by the shoulders, Zarbon proceeded to slam his head into Vegeta's. And again, till blood was dripping down the prince's face. Judging from his appearance it seemed that he was unconscious, but Zarbon knew better than to let that fool him.

Right as he was rearing his head back for the last skull shattering blow, Vegeta's eyes snapped open and he kicked out with both feet. Gasping in pain as the air was knocked out of his lungs, Zarbon released his hold on Vegeta. That was what Vegeta had been waiting for, and he wasted no time locking both hands together and smashing Zarbon over the top of his head. With the force put into the blow, the latter was unable to stop himself from slamming into the ground like a guided missile.

His eyes were locked to the ground for any sign of movement. Sure enough he saw Zarbon burst from the dust cloud and make straight for him. The fight with Kakarot was an excellent refresher course on fighting someone significantly stronger, and Vegeta hoped to make good use of those lessons here. As his opponent flew in, instead of countering the blow Vegeta turned his momentum against him, and in doing so sent the more powerful fighter screaming higher into the sky at a nearly uncontrollable level of speed.

Gathering his energy and forming it into orbs in each hand, Vegeta launched them whilst retreating backward. By then Zarbon had stopped himself and was staring in amusement at what Vegeta was doing.

He wasn't sure of the Saiyans strategy, but what he did know was that a certain degree of caution needed to be exercised. He spun to the left as the first streaked by, then shot upwards to avoid the second.

"You'll have to do better than that to get the best of me, ape!" Grinning, he launched himself at Vegeta. To Zarbon's surprise he saw the Saiyan reverse direction and come right back at him. This caused him to hesitate for a second, in which time instead of attacking, Vegeta opted to fly up and around him.

The bulkier alien gave an grunt of confusion before spinning around to resume pursuit. No sooner than he did so did he see the two spheres of energy that Vegeta fired moments before. They had doubled back around, only for the Saiyan to catch them. For him there wasn't even the time to let out a gasp, as the prince had already combined them into one and fired it at his chest.

It slammed into him like a runaway space pod, causing him to go spinning end over end for nearly half a mile. When he collected himself he looked down to see that a small hole had been put in his armor. Nothing more than a lightly singed spot on his gut, but it angered him. It wasn't the first mark that had been placed on him in the short bout, but it was the one that pushed him just a bit to far.

As Vegeta flew at him he shot out a deep teal blast from his hand, forcing Vegeta to spin to the side. Before the other could regain his balance Zarbon rushed in, delivering a sound chop over the side of his head. Dazed but nowhere near finished, Vegeta managed to roll to the side out of the way of Zarbon's next strike.

Keeping himself collected, Vegeta then quickly sent out a combo of punches and kicks. Most were blocked, and whatever got through Zarbon made sure to pay him back two fold. Up close fighting was hopeless against him. Vegeta knew that, but finding a away to break off was proving far more challenging than he thought.

Landing a savage kick to Zarbon's cheek made him smirk. But the look faded when Zarbon recovered and planted an elbow in his stomach. Coughing up a mixture of bile and blood all while doubled over made him an easy target. As Zarbon began to move Vegeta forced himself back into a fighting stance. The moment before his blow would have connected with the prince's arm something struck, sending Zarbon spiraling off into the distance.

Panting hard, he looked up to see Nappa. His bulky fist was still glowing with energy, and he seemed out of breath.

"You..." Vegeta wasn't sure on whether to berate him for taking so long, or blast him for having the audacity to interfere in his battle. After a split second of internal deliberation he allowed his sense of practicality to over rule his pride.

"Took you long enough to finally step in." he shot Nappa a hateful glare. "We can't worry about your less than impeccable timing, because here he comes!"

Zarbon stopped unexpectedly in front of the two. "Hmm...I was wondering when you would decide to get involved."

Nappa did a double take. "Who is this Vegeta..." he snapped his fingers. "Wait...of course, Zarbon. I almost didn't recognize you, you really let yourself go didn't you?"

Vegeta couldn't resist the urge to laugh, despite the danger. "Don't let that fool you Nappa, he doesn't always look like that. Only on special occasions"

"I hope not, even as an Oozaru Raditz wasn't half as ugly-"

"Enough!" Zarbon was livid and nearly foaming at the mouth. After a second he calmed himself down a bit. "It won't matter what you think of this form, or how it looks. Even together I doubt your chances are very good. After all, what it lacks in beauty is more than made up for in power!"

Creating a sonic boom as he took off, Zarbon moved first to remove Nappa from the fight. To his vague amusement Vegeta appeared in his path. The first blow was blocked by the small saiyan only for Zarbon to kick him across the face. With Vegeta out of the way for a moment it was child's play for him to parry the combo Nappa fired at him.

One blow caught him in the nose and knocked him back a couple feet. Zarbon spent a second wiping it, only to see a small drop of blood. That annoyed him even more.

Smacking Nappa's mouth blast aside like a paper ball he then sped in. One blow had the big Saiyan seeing spots. The next dislocated his jaw, sending him reeling to the left. Vegeta came out of nowhere, landing a heavy strike to Zarbon's ribs. Loosing the air in his lungs didn't slow the other down, and it took only a millisecond for him to drive a massive fist into Vegeta's face.

Feeling his nose crack along with the world getting dimmer before his eyes, the Saiyan aimed a kick that struck Zarbon underneath his chin. Catching himself a second later, he gave a smirk when Nappa came up behind and grabbed Zarbon in a giant bear hug.

"Well now, bet that is a familiar feeling for you, right Zarbon?" Energy hissed around his form and he phased from sight. In a flash he popped back into view with a fist embedded into Zarrbon's stomach.

"What was that, about us not having a chance against you?" Hearing Zarbon cough in pain made him laugh. Vegeta pulled his hand back, seeing the crack in the armor where it hit. "Seems you might have to start singing to a different tune after this one. Will teach you to underestimate us."

In the span of time if took Vegeta to utter the last syllable, Zarbon's head snapped up. A devilish look crossed his face as he made eye contact with the Saiyan prince. Before there was time enough to warn Nappa, Zarbon flared his aura, blasting the other Saiyan back several meters. Then he spun, quickly peppering Nappa's massive frame with dozens of painful blows.

Finally he sent a particularly devastating one into Nappa's chest, cracking several ribs. Then another that smashed him down to the ground. "Who underestimated who, little prince? I admit that I was worried for a moment, but I couldn't help but play along when I felt how weak that punch of yours really was. The look on your face is...priceless."

Shock turned to rage very quickly. Letting his anger guide him was a mistake though, which was proven when Zarbon casually side stepped his sloppy left hook. Vegeta realized his mistake too late when a knee struck him in the kidneys.

Coughing, and straining to keep from throwing up, Vegeta tried for a low blow. Zarbon's eyes widened as he deflected the desperate punch. "Never thought you would do that...what is it about that Saiyan pride you talked about?"

"Pride...you know nothing of the sort. Working for Frieza despite all that he has done. Nothing but a fool-" he was cut off by a meaty hand closing around his throat.

Zarbon pulled him close enough so that their noses were less than a foot apart. "You're in no position to talk, monkey prince. We all do what we have to to survive. And I know your record is far from spotless. So don't pretend like you're so much better." he punched Vegeta one more time square in the face before tossing him down.

Vegeta caught himself a dozen or so feet before impact. And just in time to see a massive ball of energy descending towards him. He barely had the time to even raise his arms before it was upon him, the roar drowning out his frantic yells and curses.

...

He watched his blast slam into the ground, before exploding in a massive fireball a few seconds later. Zarbon then took a deep breath before reverting to his preferred form. The fatigue that had been building the whole time, and had only been suppressed by sheer force of will hit him full force. Breathing was a bit more of a chore, and that gave him one more reason to hate his bestial transformation.

"Damn...looks like I may have over done it." Utilizing his keen eye sight Zarbon quickly scanned the battlefield. While he did not have the same gift his lord did, he knew that the blast did not have the power to kill Vegeta. Or it shouldn't have.

What he did spot was the Saiyan general. Nappa. Moving quickly over to the spot, he saw that the brutish man was alive. Zarbon cringed a little at all the bruises and indentations on his form. Not that he pitied the Saiyan savage in any meaningful way. It just made his skin crawl to see it. Served him right for picking such a hopeless fight.

"Well...if I can't recover Vegeta, might as well take this one back as a substitute. At least that might appease Frieza."

Yes he thought to himself. Nappa would be a fine source of information. At least until Vegeta was found.

...

It was stupid of him. No one had to tell him that much. But he wanted to be sure.

Vegeta was supposed to be an enemy of his. Of everyone. Yamcha knew he shouldn't be doing something so reckless, but he wanted to know. When the fight erupted the former bandit immediately hunkered down inside a small section of forest. The shock waves were something else, as were the explosions. Both ki's that belonged to the Saiyans all but vanished several minutes ago. Whomever it was that defeated them had left the scene in great haste.

He still held Vegeta in contempt...yet it wasn't possible for Yamcha to fully condemn him. Truth be told there was no such thing as black or white in the grand scheme of things. In the scar faced fighters hand was a senzu bean. They had brought a few just in case, and he was hoping that it would not be to late.

Deep down he knew it was a bad idea, but if it came down to it he would rather have Vegeta alive. At the very least he could distract Frieza long enough for himself and Krillin to get the rest of the dragonballs. Regarding those, he made a mental note of where he stashed the one from Guru. In the chance that Vegeta did come after him, the dragonball would remain out of his reach.

Flying over the area gave him chills. Memories from the battle on Earth started flickered in the back of his mind, forcing him to shake his head to dispel them.

Vegeta's energy was detectable, if only just barely. The human finally traced the signal to the edge of a crater. A long trail of drying blood, leading right up to the Saiyan prince. It was a ghastly sight, enough to disturb him even more. There was the outside chance that even if he saved Vegeta that the warrior would kill him on the spot.

Using the tip of his boot he carefully rolled him till he was on his back, on more level ground. Seeing Vegeta's eyes open made Yamcha swallow a lump that he didn't even know was in his throat.

"This universe is full of surprises..." Vegeta coughed deeply, spit and blood trickling down his chin. "That power I was chasing...I would have never guessed it was one of you lowly humans. Let me make a wild assumption when I say that you're probably here to finish what was started on Earth...don't let me stop you. I'm not some coward who will beg for his life..."

He gave a weak attempt at a smirk.

That caused Yamcha to shake his head. "Actually...um...kind of the other way around." He reached into a pocket, pulling out a senzu bean. Slowly he reached down in an attempt to offer it.

Vegeta looked at it strangely for a moment. In that time he recalled seeing something exactly like it on Earth. "Impudent bastard! I will not accept pity...not from anyone, least of all from such a pathetic race..." more blood came out of his mouth as he coughed again. More wounds on the rest of his body started to open up due to the coughing fit.

Slowly Yamcha's mind began processing what he had just heard. For a moment he considered leaving the downed Saiyan to die. It would without doubt eliminate one of their problems. Yet it did not feel as if it were the right thing to do. Plus...it could work to the rest of the earthlings advantage if Vegeta was to live.

"It's not pity. Someone like you doesn't deserve that anyway. But I still don't like the idea of leaving you to die like this. You still want to fight Goku again right...How will you manage that if you're dead?" Yamcha gave the prince a sharp look along with a mocking grin. "I thought that your sense of honor meant more than that to you.

Vegeta thought on the matter. For a human, this one wasn't so stupid after all. There was that score to be settled with Kakarot. Before that though Frieza needed to be taken out. Perhaps it wouldn't make him as weak as he first suspected to take the offer. Not if it could be used to such gain. When Yamcha tossed the bean next to his hand he laughed to himself.

"There. This way you can't say I made you...it's out of my hands now." He intended to blast off, but quicker than he imagined Vegeta had snatched up the bean and practically swallowed it whole. In seconds his wounds began mending themselves. And his power quickly rising to match.

Escaping was out of the question now. Vegeta was on his feet before the long haired man could take his next breath.

"What now human?" his very stance exuded anger and malice. "Do you feel it...that nagging feeling that any second might be your last? I could do it you know. It would be little challenge to dispose of you as I am now."

Yamcha tensed up, ready to fight if need be. A hopeless situation...and one that could have easily been avoided. A change in Vegeta's demeanor gave him second thoughts on what the flame haired Saiyan was planning.

"Yet I find that it would be pointless to do so. Dishonorable perhaps even...it would hardly be sporting to kill a weakling like you. Plus, after healing my power is far greater than before. Making me that much closer to being able to take on Frieza. One may say you did me a great service in that...as a reward...I'll let you and your miserable group live." He narrowed his eyes. "Provided none of you interfere with my plans of immortality."

In the time it took a smirk to cross Vegeta's lips he had already phased out of sight and materialized a foot away from Yamcha. With one swift blow he slammed his fist into his stomach, causing the human to double over in agony.

"Hmm...my power increased even more than I suspected. That will prove most useful. If you excuse me, I have more important business to attend to." Flexing his hand, he made a quick waving motion. With it enough ki to blast Yamcha into the dirt.

_First I'll make sure that pansy didn't find the ball...then comes the tricky part. Stealing the rest from under Frieza's nose...along with that oaf, Nappa._

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Vegeta: 29,200

Zarbon: 27,500

Zarbon (Transformed): 37,125

Vegeta (Post Zenkai): Stronger than before

Nappa: 19,020

Everyone else is the same, except for Goku and Yajorobe. More about them, maybe as soon as the next chapter.


	18. Recovery Operation

A/N: I really need to apologize for the terribly long wait. That and this being the shortest chapter to date; a lot has happened though, and my personal life has been very turbulent these past weeks. That, and I recently moved and was out of internet for over a week. That coupled with the beginnings of burnout creeping on really stifled my creativity.

Not making any promises yet, but I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by the 10th of January. Hopefully sooner, but first I'll need to see what else life throws at me.

As always, please read and review. And if their are any plot holes or continuity issues, please point them out to me. And I would like to thank those who have been sticking with me all this time. Your support is what keeps me going.

* * *

><p>After spending a lengthy period of time locating the ball that he and Nappa had taken possession of, Vegeta chose to focus his senses on something else.<p>

The Saiyan prince knew that he needed to locate Frieza. No doubt the lizard had a few dragonballs of his own. That much was hardly suprising, given what that one Namekian had told him. Of how the tyrant had been terrorizing the world in search of the mystical orbs. And it was a priority of the Saiyan to take them for his own. Nappa had been captured by that effeminate bastard, Zarbon. So there was no telling what would happen to him.

_"Knowing Frieza, he will have him thrown in a tank and brought back to full health. After that_," that was where things could get nasty. Frieza's interrogation methods were a bit crude at times. And while he didn't down his comrades loyalty, there was no guarantee he wouldn't accidentally let something slip if under enough pressure.

Which was why he took the time to relocate his ball to a new and safer location, several miles away. That way even if someone came snooping around it would never be found.

"Got you." pressure inside his skull, simply from sensing the magnitude of Frieza's energy. It would take him several hours to get there while traveling at such a slow speed. More so since he hadn't pinpointed the exact location...but he had a rough idea of it. Blocking the sensation, he gave one last glance at the hidden spot before departing.

* * *

><p>It boggled his mind. He flew in, clothes torn up from getting the hell knocked out of him by Vegeta. Yet she didn't yell at him. At all. At first it seemed that she wanted to, but given that...he still found himself a little surprised at her behavior. In times past she hadn't the slightest reservation, and that was when he had far worse injuries.<p>

Once she had wondered off to fiddle with the communicator he turned to talk with Gohan.

"Wow...I can't believe how much stronger you are Yamcha." the demi-Saiyan seemed positively enthralled with it. "And he really said he could do the same for me?"

Cracking a smirk, the ex-thief nodded. "He sure can kid. Just going to have to wait a bit longer before heading out. Not only because Guru needs time to recover, but because I really don't want to risk running into Vegeta again."

Gohan nodded quickly. "I know what you mean. I'm a little shocked that you got back in one piece...told you he wasn't so bad, didn't I?"

Yamcha let out a frustrated sigh. "Still doesn't mean I'm going to trust him. You would do well to think the same on that. Better him than that Frieza guy...at least Vegeta won't kill us on sight now. Hopefully."

* * *

><p>"Well Zarbon, am I to assume that you got a bit carried away?" Frieza's expression was cross. "For your sake, you had best hope that Vegeta did indeed live. I know you brought this one back as a consolation...to appease me and avoid my enough...You should know however, that I wanted a few words with our little prince before his inevitable demise. Think of it as closure. The end of a rather amusing book. It would be a shame if those last few pages were ripped away from under my eager hand."<p>

His lips parted into a sneer. "Nappa, whatever his name may be. He is of little use to me...especially so if he proves reluctant to divulge the location of that dragonball. And do tell me as I long to know...how much time has transpired since you brought him into my custody?"

It was a rhetorical question Zarbon quickly noted.

"Near half a cycle my lord. In short order the rejuvenation process should be complete...then we can move on to-" Zarbon cut himself off when Frieza raised a hand.

The tyrant then clasped both hands behind his back. "Don't tell me what we are going to be doing. I'm fully aware of procedure...Can at least trust you to have had the mental capacity needed to place the energy restraint on him?" he glared sharply at Zarbon. "You did do that, didn't you?"

Zarbon nodded with trepidation.

"Good job Zarbon. It would be most embarrassing if you failed in that. Why, imagine if he were to have awoken and neither of us were there to greet him. Any number of things could have occurred. More casualties...families to pay off...the ship sustaining damage. Had that happened I assure you that you would be finding your own way off this rock."

"Hmm, for some reason it feels as if I'm forgetting something." Frieza tapped his chin curiously.

Frieza leveled his gaze; making sure to look his subordinate directly in the eyes. "Ah yes...the dragonballs. Silly of me to forget about them. Those are what we came to this world for, and no doubt what both of those rogue groups are after as well. So, and do pay attention because I'll only tell you this once, if that over-sized ape decided to take it upon himself to rob me of those...I would see everyone involved flayed alive. Slowly. Starting with you for neglecting critical duties."

Seeing Zarbon's face turn white was enough to convince him that the point had been made. "Glad to see we have an understanding. Now then kindly remove yourself from my presence. I will never place absolute faith in any technology, and that guest of ours probably won't be keen on behaving himself for much longer."

"Of course...as you command Lord Frieza."

* * *

><p>Finding the ship was proving far more challenging that Vegeta had initially expected. His ki sensing was...not exactly up to snuff. That much he knew. Meaning that the closer he found himself getting, the more Frieza's sickening presence could be felt. It was as if the fiend was everywhere at once, and more than once the prince found himself nervously glancing over his shoulder, and ducking inside any random crevice he could find. The only good thing was that no one else was around to bare witness to his display of weakness.<p>

He was close though. So very close. Meaning immortality was well within his reach. A part of him was hoping that they could grant more than one wish, but that was wishful thinking. Living the life he had, made him quick to disregard any sense of irrational optimism.

No way of knowing how much time had passed, but he reckoned that it had to have been at least a cycle and a half since the fight with Zarbon. Only an estimate, and one that he wasn't on trusting entirely.

The fact that he hadn't slept in...two or more cycles didn't help matters. That wasn't something he could really afford to spare the time for.

Going without rest entirely entirely...that could also have detrimental effects. Could even cost him his life in battle. Lowering himself to the ground and pushing his power down as far as he could, Vegeta made his way to a small rock formation. Nothing fancy at all, but it would be impossible for anyone to spot him unless they came in from ground level.

Slowly he closed his eyes, intent on only being out for a few moments.

If only he knew what he would be in for during them.

_He saw a series of flashes, as the scenery changed over and over. Faces...his father and mother. His planet. Then of Cooler...talking with a low ranking Saiyan. One that looked like Kakarot, yet was clearly not. Soldiers conferring with Frieza. An anguished look on the tyrants face. So out of place. That same Saiyan talking to Cooler. Then to King Vegeta. _

_Another scene of Frieza, seething in rage. His father bursting into the command room on Frieza's ship. Harsh words between the two. Shock crossing Frieza's face before the Saiyan king lunged at him. Planet Vegeta's destruction._

_Then...Cooler...laughing joyfully with a humanoid silhouette standing in the background._

_One final image...of a blank faced Frieza as he prepared to explain his fabricated story to the young prince._

Vegeta awoke in a rage, mind still hazy from his brief slumber.

"A dream...just a stupid fucking dream...one that means nothing at all." he noticed that both of his hands were clenched tight enough that blood was seeping out of his palms. Try as he might, he couldn't put that completely from his mind. Something about it unnerved and enraged him to no end.

It couldn't be allowed to draw his focus from the main issue at hand though. That would be completely unacceptable.

* * *

><p><em>King Kai's planet three days prior.<em>

"So you really think you're up to the challenge Piccolo?" the deity gave a grin. "Many have attempted to do this, you would be the first in many centuries to succeed."

Piccolo gave a dry chuckle. "I think I owe it to you for all those terrible jokes you've made me suffer through."

King Kai nodded, not feeling as insulted as he should have by the comment. "I'd like to think that my sense of humor has having made you a better person overall. Guess I'll be in a bit of a pickle if you win this, right?"

A drop of sweat trickled down the demons forehead. Not out of fear but of...something he couldn't place. "For some reason, I think I'm going to enjoy this a lot more than I ever should. Beating a so called god to a pulp seems almost...sacrilegious...yet that only makes the idea sound better to me. "

Piccolo saw him chuckle at that statement. Oddly enough he found himself doing the same. For a very different reason. "Well then...I hope your ready. Because I've been waiting for this moment since the day I landed here."

Entering a fighting stance, it only took a single moment for his ki to reach it's maximum. A massive blue aura flared up around the demi-god.

"Even stronger than I thought...perfect...this might actually be a challenge." In an instant he burst forward, fist outstretched.

To his surprise the Kaio managed to counter. Except not in the typical sense. Instead of attacking or blocking King Kai moved with the punch, causing Piccolo to lose control of his own momentum. With the Namek flailing a beam was sent crashing into his back.

Landing with one knee touching the ground, Piccolo only paused for a second before continuing his assault.

This went on for over an hour, back and forth with neither gaining any sort of meaningful advantage over the other. Finally King Kai raised his hand, motioning that the spar was over.

"Great...job...Piccolo." he said between breaths. "A draw...but I can tell that if this goes on that I'd eventually run out of steam. And that really would be a gas!" More snorting laughter, that tapered off after a few seconds.

"Here I was expecting to beat you outright with the difference in our powers..."

King Kai wagged his finger back and forth, as if in a scolding manner. "Yes that would seem the case. You are much stronger, but I have eons of experience in martial arts. So try not to get too green with envy on me." He laughed at his joke, only to see that the Namekian had vanished.

"This generation...no sense of humor." huffing at Piccolo's behavior, he walked back and went into his home.

* * *

><p><em>Deep space...<em>

Slowly he unsheathed his sword. The entire room was bathed in a soft red light as the machine hummed a warning noise. In green lettering the number 75 was flashing over and over again on the console. Concentrating, he lowered himself into a crouching stance.

With a smooth motion he stepped forward, swinging his sword downward at his invisible target. Then he ducked and rolled along the ground to avoid the imaginary blow dealt back at him. This went on for several moments, each swing of the sword coming faster and more fluid than the previous.

Casually he summoned forth a red aura, entering the first stage of Kaioken with little effort. The effects of the gravity meant nothing. Now he felt lighter than a feather. Falling back into position he resumed his assault on the non-existent enemy.

He had allowed himself to get lazy. To let everyone eclipse him in power entirely. Sure he might never catch up to Goku...that seemed a lost cause. But he at least wanted to prove his worth...that he could still hang with the big dogs when the time called for it.

For almost ten minutes this went on, his movements only increasing in intensity as the seconds passed. Sweat dripping down his face and neck, he decided enough was enough.

Plodding his way over, he barely had the strength left to slam his hand down on the emergency stop button. No sooner than gravity returned to normal did his hold on the Kaioken finally slip.

Panting heavily he saw Goku watching him from the corner of the room. And the Saiyan was smiling.

"I take it you've been here a while." Yajrobe wiped his face with a cloth.

"Sure have. Got to say to, I'm really impressed with you...and how seriously you've been taking your training. You really have improved...and tell you the truth I'd hate to be on your bad side."

The samurai managed a dry laugh. "You're just telling me that...I know I've gotten way better, but I'm no match for you. If you felt like it you could kick my ass all over the place."

"I'm not so sure about that." Goku rubbed the bottom of his chin with a thumb. "Yeah I'm a lot stronger than you...but strength only means so much. It's almost scary how good you are with that sword...in my entire life I don't think I've seen anyone better. If you wanted to you could cut me to ribbons with that thing...all my power would mean nothing if I made one wrong move. Plus you're a natural with the Kaioken...picking it up even faster than I did."

Yajirobe nodded his head. "Yeah you're probably right. I am pretty good at my craft. Guess it was true what everyone said...this body of mine sure is durable."

Goku was about to say something in reply when a rumbling shook the entire ship. The saiyan was about to panic till he realized the source.

Looking at him a bit sheepishly was Yajirobe, hand on his stomach. "Well, you know what that means. Time for lunch!"

Nearly falling on his face, it was all Goku to do to try and catch up before the entire meal was devoured.

* * *

><p>"...well...I...are you sure you'll be fine kid?" Yamcha gave Gohan a concerned look. Bulma had been adamant on not being left all by herself again...and Yamcha found himself hard pressed to argue. But Gohan also needed to make it to Guru's...to get his power unlocked. Problem was that Gohan had no idea to get there. That was, until Dende stepped in with an offer of his own.<p>

He would show the half Saiyan the way. With Vegeta and Frieza seemingly occupied...it seemed like now was the best chance at doing this.

A good long moment passed before Gohan finally acknowledged him by nodding his head. "Yeah...I think I will. And if I sense anything, anything at all...drop my power and hide...right?"

"You got it. Now then," Yamcha's eyes flicked over to the Namekian child. "You two look ready as you'll ever be...so...I guess all I can say is be safe." _Otherwise your mother'll kill me when I get back._ He swallowed nervously before giving a determined grin.

"Right." Gohan grabbed Dende's arm and took off, being mindful not to fly too fast lest he injure the young Namek.

Clouds sped by as he flew. All his senses were on high alert, for even the most minuscule of threats.

* * *

><p>After spending far more time than he'd expected Vegeta had located the ship. For the past hour he had hung back, watching intently from a nearby plateau. A small power pricked his senses in the distance. "Just the halfling brat...no time to worry myself over the like of him."<p>

Indeed there wasn't. No one had came or left since he had arrived. Not that Vegeta really expected it.

Sneaking in would be a chore...stealing the dragonballs and rescuing Nappa would make that seem like child's play.

Perhaps he was over complicating things. Frieza was extremely intelligent...but he was also predicable at times. Vegeta would wait a few more minutes...then...then he would see about arranging for a little firework display.

"A treat Frieza...from me...to you."

A small bit of energy formed in each hand. He aimed one at the base of the ship. "Enjoy it!"

He fired it and watched as it slammed into the ground, blasting a hole in the ship's side in the process.

"There...that should have gotten their attention...now for something to seal the deal."

He launched the other ball into the sky. This was for something different. It was bright...easy to see. And was meant to take off when anyone other than himself approached it. And should another being get close enough to see it for what it truly was...it would be to late. A fun technique...taught to him by Raditz of all people.

Even weaklings were useful for something.

* * *

><p>In no time they had made it to their destination. Without encountering any trouble whatsoever.<p>

And it looked exactly like Yamcha had told them. No sooner than he landed did he see Krillin...standing next to a tall Namekian. Gohan had to do a double take...to remind himself that it wasn't Piccolo there...no matter much he looked like him.

His power was nothing short of jaw dropping...and he seemed to be putting no effort out at all in maintaining it. Yet Gohan didn't notice the ki until he was just a few hundred feet away.

Krillin was stronger too...and it made his Saiyan side wonder just how much he would improve when his power was brought to the surface. It felt a little cheap to him, almost as if he were cheating in some way...given the situation...pride had to give way to common sense. It had to. Vegeta could not be trusted, even he wasn't that naive. _'Then there's that Frieza guy...I don't want to fight any of his goons. Much less him...but we all need to be strong enough just in case.'_ he thought to himself. There was the outside chance, that if things went south...

"Gohan, Dende!" exclaimed Krillin excitedly. "Glad to see you both made it back in one piece...with that fighting going on we were all worried sick. Speaking of that...Yamcha did make it back...didn't he?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. He did. Bit of a long story but you see, he kind of saved Vegeta's life along the way..."

Krillin gave a look suggesting astonishment. "That...that sounds like him...we all spent a little too much time around your dad I guess. He would have done the same thing." the monk paused for a moment. "Still, can't say that it was the brightest thing to do...Vegeta could have killed him easily, and we all know he isn't an ally or anything like that."

Gohan agreed with that. "I know...but it's like I said, I don't think he is all that bad. Piccolo, I heard that he started as an enemy or something like that...and look at him now...you know what he did...all to save me." tears nearly formed in his eyes but he brushed them away before anyone could see. "So I think he...Vegeta deserves the same chance...and that Yamcha..he did the right thing too. Maybe...maybe he can change as well."

"Kid, you really are Goku's son, through and through. I...I really do hope you're right about that too, cause I don't feel like fighting him or that big bald guy again anytime soon. " Krillin looked over to Nail, who appeared to have been paying little attention to the conversation.

"Say, Guru said he would be up to doing this...right?"

Nail looked at him, before giving a faint smile. "Yes...Lord Saichoro is feeling quite well now. So if the child is prepared, now would be the best time for the unlocking."

"Unlocking?" Gohan said, obviously a little perplexed. "Right...what Yamcha said...he'll be able to unlock my hidden power right?"

His mood lightening, Krillin give a big grin. "You bet he can. So Kami only knows what it'll do for your power...maybe even make you stronger than Vegeta. I still don't think we can trust him...and it would help to have someone that could put him in his place if he decided to cause trouble."

Following the older Namekian inside, Gohan couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. That feeling only doubled when he saw the gargantuan Elder for the first time. Upon seeing the warm expression on the wrinkled Namek's face, much of his apprehension faded.

"So you are the child known as Son Gohan. Your friends said a great lot about you, though I have seen you many times in both visions and dreams. You were the one most responsible for taming the heart of Piccolo...yes indeed...I would find great difficulty finding another as worthy as you." Smiling, he beckoned the halfling to come closer.

"So it's like they said...you place your hand on my head and I get stronger?" Of course there was more to it than that, but it was the only way he could think of to put the thought into words.

"Not quite. Though you are correct in that you will become much more than what you are right now. How much so, we shall soon see." Slowly he lowered his hand, till it was resting gently on the boy's head.

"Yes...you have tremendous reserves...Now...I'll do my best to bring it to the surface." A glow emanated from his palm, quickly spreading down the length of Gohan's body. Once it reached the ground, a brilliant flash erupted, and a powerful aura erupted around the child.

Sweat beaded down Guru's forehead, and after a minute he was forced to remove his hand abruptly. In the far reaches of his mind he saw a faint golden spark. Only for a second, yet he was certain on what it was that he saw. He wouldn't tell the child...not yet. Such knowledge would come naturally in due time, of that the elder was positive.

"There. I did all that I could in releasing your hidden power...what you had was far more than I'd anticipated...and indeed was beyond my powers to fully unleash. You will find that you are much stronger than before. And as I told each of your friends...it will be much easier for you to not only access the power still resting in you, but to make further gains with your training."

"Amazing..." Gohan was in awe of the power he felt flowing through his veins. "I can't wait to test this out...everyone will be so proud...especially my dad and mister Piccolo."

Guru smiled. "Yes, I suspect that they will. I must caution you however in seeking out a fight, merely because you feel invincible compared to before. Strength isn't everything, and a big part of it is knowing when not to use it. To seek other alternatives."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Gohan still managed to nod in agreement.

* * *

><p>As he'd expected, both Zarbon and Frieza took the bait. While Frieza seemed to only venture a short distance away from the ship, his underling wasted no time in shooting off after the false energy signal. If he hadn't Frieza probably would have killed him in a fit of anger.<p>

Knowing that he had maybe two to three minutes at best Vegeta crept in low, making sure to press his energy as close to zero as possible. In no time he found himself racing down the main hallway.

"Let's see...if it's anything like I remember it...the med bay should be right ahead." A hundred more rapid steps later and he saw that he'd reached his destination. Inside he felt Nappa's ki, steady but far lower than what it should be.

"Ki dampeners...seems they didn't want to take chances. Clever." Deciding that he didn't have time to figure out the access code, he settled for ramming his fist through the doors control panel. A tense second passed by, and he almost thought that he'd tripped an alarm. But then he heard the locking mechanism click with the door sliding open right after.

As expected, Vegeta saw Nappa slouched against the wall. Both arms and legs were shackled with a glowing device, and a small machine was putting out a weak force field to keep him from attempting escape.

"Long time no see Nappa. I see you're doing well for yourself." he flashed a smirk. His subordinate grumbled a few curses in the Saiyan language, before switching to standard.

"Just...get me out of here. I don't know what it is you did, but I can tell you now you don't have much time. Feel that energy?"

True enough he could sense Frieza rapidly moving back to the ship. At around the same instant he felt a little pin prick in the back of his mind, and a small explosion sounded off in the distance. It gave him the urge to laugh, but he couldn't afford to allow himself to be distracted by anything at the moment.

"Tell me something I don't know idiot. Now follow me, and hurry the hell up!" Vegeta snapped.

Both raced off down the hallway. Along the way some lowly grunt spotted them. Before he could send off any signal or make a move, a small blast from Vegeta turned him to a charred mess of a corpse.

Forgoing subtlety entirely, Vegeta slammed his shoulder into the door to Frieza's personal command room. To his glee he saw not one or two, but five of the dragonballs sitting neatly in a little group by the window.

"This Nappa, this might be our lucky day after all. Do something, anything to keep them busy for a moment and I'll take care of these."

Nappa nodded silently, before sprinting to the doorway. "Hey, assholes!"-"Here is a little something for all the shit you put us through!"

He fired two beams, one from each arm, down either side of the corridor. Neither had any real explosive punch, but they did more than enough in terms of collapsing parts of the wall and ceiling. Smoke began billowing into the room, as Nappa rejoined his comrade.

And right in time to see Vegeta fling the last of the balls out the melted window, and far out into the Namekian sea.

Vegeta was in no mood to wait, as he dived into the water head first. Nappa was less than a second behind him on that.

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Yamcha: No real changes. Same with Krillin.

Vegeta: Somewhere close to 40,000 at the moment. The exact amount will be a surprise.

Nappa: Above 30,000

Goku: As if when are seeing him, somewhere above 50,000.

Yajirobe: Beyond 10,000

Gohan: Yet another plot critical one, but I will say that it too is over 30,000.

Piccolo: Over 25,000.

King Kai: 23,000

Tien: Unseen, but somewhere in the 12,000 range.

Chaoutzu: A little under 10,000.


	19. In the Wake of

A/N: So I'm getting this one out later than I wanted. I do apologize for that, but at least this one is around 5k words. Life has been hectic, and I only presume it will remain so in the short term. Plus I do have another story that I'm equally committed to, so that is a factor as well.

Still going to do my best, and I'm hoping to have chapter 20 out by the 5th or so of next month. Which given my timetable, might mean that it's as late as the 10-12th.

I'm doing my best given the hand I've been dealt, and I would like to thank anyone still bothering to read and review this.

On a side note, please feel free to read and review. And let me know if their are any plot holes or continuity errors.

* * *

><p>While he was proud of himself for managing to best King Kai, Piccolo truly wished that the Kaio would ease up on the jokes. Much as he was beginning to respect the demi-god, he would never in a million years come to appreciate his sense of humor.<p>

That really wasn't at the forefront of his mind. Not at the moment. What he was attempting was to overcome Tien whilst the latter was using a three fold Kaioken. A task that was proving more daunting that he'd previously considered.

As far as power went, the humans seemed to be hitting a bit of a wall compared to him. To be sure, part of it was obviously because they were having to focus on the new technique as well as regular training. And it wasn't to say that their growth was slow. It was anything but that. However, the Namek was beginning to realize that thanks to his biology he had an inherit advantage over them as a whole. Not quite as much as a Saiyan...since they could get stronger from near death experiences in addition to plain old fighting, but Piccolo knew that he could overcome that with enough training.

Thanks to his momentary lapse in concentration Tien managed to land a powerful strike to his rib cage. A few cracked, yet Piccolo paid them no mind. What he was waiting for was about to come up, if his opponent's wavering energy signature was any indication.

Parrying a few more strikes, he saw it. For a moment the triclops allowed himself to fall down to the second level, and his power dropping by a third along with it.

Meaning the ball was back in his side of the court now. "Gotcha!"

He extended his arm out, hitting Tien in the mouth from over five meters away. Grabbing the human by the face, Piccolo retracted his arm. In doing so he brought Tien along for the ride, and right to the point where Piccolo's knee would strike him dead on in the middle of his stomach.

Something was wrong though. A fist had also planted itself in his gut, and to his surprise he saw that Tien was barely even wincing from where his knee was. _This really isn't my day..._ he thought as a he coughed up a mouth full of spittle.

"My turn now." Was all Tien said, as he gave Piccolo a cocky smirk.

* * *

><p>Deep down in the pits of hell, two warriors stood across from each other. At most perhaps, ten feet of sand separated the two. One with wild spiky hair, and a scar running across his cheek.<p>

The other, with a flowing mane of midnight black that ran well below his waist. Each had their tails firmly wrapped around their waists, though it was hardly necessary for either to do so. Not because of honor, though that was a factor as well. But because grabbing the tail of the opponent would serve no advantage.

Raditz was glad that his father taught him that. And a part of him felt like a complete imbecile for not figuring it out while he was still alive. Nappa and Vegeta had both done it, so it made him feel all the more weak and foolish that he had neglected to do so.

Not now.

"Well then Raditz. You say you've improved...learned some new tricks. I'll believe it when I see it. Wouldn't be the first time I went away disappointed...and you buried in a mile wide crater. So show your old man here exactly what it is that you've been blowing so much hot air over." It would motivate his son if nothing else. More than likely into making a fool out of himself, which was at least progress from when he first arrived in hell. At least he had managed to grow a spine.

He gave a prideful smirk. "Heh...I'll do much more than show you, father." Keeping calm was a challenge, yet in doing so he knew he would be confounding Bardock. It went against what the latter expected, which was for Raditz to charge in fists flying every which way.

Dark violet ki arced around him, as his muscles expanded slightly. His father had told him of some of the things he saw, and of the techniques his little brother had learned. While Bardock didn't actually know them himself, or much care to try and use them...well that didn't mean that it wasn't possible for him to use what information he knew to create something similar.

Thinking on the location he learned it, coming up with a name had been simple. "Burst of Hades!"

In a fraction of a second he shot forward, slamming his shoulder into Bardock's chest. Another passed by, and Raditz had already slammed his fist full on into the older Saiyan's face, which sent him smashing into one of the distant mountains. Raditz allowed the aura to disperse, before blasting off using only his natural power.

Faster than he expected and Bardock was right in his face. Activating the ability when he did was the only thing that kept Raditz from having his jaw shattered on the spot. Instead it was merely dislocated in a painful manner, and he himself sent spiraling to the ground. Catching himself on his hands and knees, it took him no time at all to pop his jaw into place and take to the sky.

Bardock was hovering in place with a pleased look. "For once you managed to back up your boasts with more than hollow words. You even caught me off guard too, something that hasn't happened in years around here. Impressive, and for that I figure it'll be hard for me to keep on calling you a weakling now. That said," he disappeared in a flash, only to show up with his fist embedded painfully in Raditz's stomach. ", next to me you still aren't all that strong."

"In that case, I'll have to try a little harder!" the aura came back, and his muscles expanded again. More than before, which an amused Bardock took full stock of. Pulling his hand back quickly, he side stepped the chop directed at his face. Bringing up his own aura, Bardock fired back with a punch that his son hastily had to block.

It went back and forth, with neither gaining any meaningful advantage. Bardock caught something after a few minutes though. Raditz was starting to breath much heavier, and his attacks were slowly getting more sluggish.

Ducking beneath a ki ball, Bardock sped up to his son and slammed his boot into the upper part of his chest. "Nice ability you got, but it has a pretty big problem with it." He grabbed Raditz by the hair, before hurling him to the ground.

With scarcely a sound he landed beside him. "And that flaw should be obvious. It takes a lot of energy to keep it going, and that hurts your stamina badly. So if I were you I would consider finding a way around that weakness. Before the time comes when you actually need it in a serious battle."

Climbing onto his feet in a clumsy manner, Raditz knew his father raised a good point. "It...That is right. I knew that I couldn't handle doing that for long...it's such a strain, and I refuse to use the Kaioken...even if I was taught it. I just prefer making up my own moves. As it is, I don't think I'll ever be able to do much more than double my power with the Burst of Hades. All I can hope to do is reduce the strain."

A look of confusion crossed his face as he finally processed the last few words his father said.

"Wait a minute...what did you mean by that? What you said last..."-"In a serious battle...I'm dead...so why in all hells would I have to worry about anything like that...unless you're hiding something from me?" he clenched his fist angrily, already starting to gather energy. That soon faltered, and before he knew it Raditz was gasping for air.

"Point proven. And don't worry about that last part that I said. Chalk it up to another of my crazy dreams." Bardock took a rapid step forward, and slammed his elbow into Raditz's temple.

With his son out of commission, he merely shook his head._ Hmm...guess I ought to go pay Vegeta a visit. Raditz gave me a decent warm up, so I think now is the time to settle the score with his royal highness. He's been bitching about a rematch for so long...it'll be great to make him eat his words...again..._

Bardock took off, smirking at the thought of putting the former king in his place.

* * *

><p>"<em>See Nappa. Everything worked according to my plan. To think that you were actually doubting me there."<em>

They had been underwater for nearly ten minutes, and pressure in his lungs was slowly starting to build. Vegeta could only guess how Nappa was doing, though he figured the oaf would be fine. They had survived worse.

_"I...I wasn't doubting you." _he replied back, with some hesitation. _"But it was a big risk you took...I'm grateful and all that you got me out of there, not that I wouldn't have figured out a way on my own." _

Vegeta laughed, sending a rush of bubbles to the surface. _"Of course you would have. I have that much confidence in you. Forgive me however, for wishing to expedite the process a bit. You always did take your sweet time with that sort of shit."_

_"Yes...that isn't what I meant though. Stealing those dragonballs...right from under Frieza's nose. Talk about dangerous...no telling what he'll do...all I can say is that he is probably pretty damn pissed off right about now." _Nappa said telepathically. Amusement was apparent in his tone.

A nod from Vegeta and the conversation abruptly ended. A few more minutes went by, and the two were forced to poke their heads above the surface for a much needed breath of air. Upon that they each saw that they were within a few hundred feet of land. Enough so that they could afford to swim the rest of the way on the surface of the water.

Reaching the edge first, Vegeta wasted no time leaping out. "Let's see...should be right around here." scanning the area for a moment and not seeing any sign of the dragonalls nearly caused him to panic. But after a few steps he saw the first one, lodged several inches into a rock formation. Which meant that the rest should also have landed nearby.

"Hmm. Thought for second that I fucked up and tossed them too far." he yanked it free and held it firmly in his left arm. Nappa had wondered off, having spotted a couple more lying in a pair of matching craters. Ticked that he had been ignored he phased over to where his bald comrade was. "Least your making yourself useful now. Be quick finding the rest, who know's how much time we have till someone decides to investigate this far out."

* * *

><p>Gritting his teeth in pain was helping, oddly enough. One hundred times gravity was no laughing matter. Tempting as it was to use the Kaioken and move around with far less inhibition, Goku opted against. He needed to strengthen his body, acclimate it to the gravity. While the Kaioken would assist with that, now wasn't the time.<p>

Yajirobe was in another room meditating, the gravity being to much for him. After five thousand finger push up's on each hand the Saiyan leaped to his feet gracefully. No sooner than he caught his balance did he feel the whole ship shake, and the gravity increase along with it. Face smashing into the ground, he was barely able to catch sight of the panel as the red light in the room intensified. One hundred twenty five was flashing over the console.

His body was exhausted, but he had to try to summon the energy to use it. His own survival depended on it.

"Kaioken...Times two!" a choppy red aura flickered around him, going from red to white about every half second. Finally after a pause it settled on red. Feeling much lighter, upon gaining his footing Goku quickly walked to the control panel. With a press of the button he managed to disengage the artificial gravity. With his weight back to normal he allowed the Kaioken to drop.

No sooner than he did that did the transmitter abruptly pop on.

"Goku, hello." the image and voice of Doctor Briefs appeared on the screen. "I was just monitoring your ship, and was about to inform you that you were passing dangerously close to a magnetic storm. Not that you should fear for the ship my boy. It was designed for just such a thing. But you might want to avoid using the gravity machine, since that might be more prone to shorting out."

Goku simply gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah. About that..."

"I see then. Well as long as you made sure both the emergency stop button was engaged, and that the device was shut off at the central control panel, then there should be nothing to worry about."

The Saiyan scratched the back of his head. "Central control what now?" something was trying to come back to him. Something Bulma's father had tried to tell him before he left. Problem was that he didn't understand much when it came to technology like this, and had left most of the difficult stuff up to Yajirobe. About the only thing he knew was how to stop the ship briefly for any repair work, and how to adjust the gravity settings.

"Umm...I think I forgot about that. No problem right, since I can just have Yajirobe take care of it...right?" As he rubbed the back of his head again he gave a weak chuckle. One that was briefly interrupted as another tremor shook the ship. Only this one caused the gravity to spike to a staggering one hundred and fifty times that of Earth. Only for an instant, but it was enough to slam Goku into the ground with considerable force.

Straining to stand, he gingerly rubbed the shoulder that hit the ground first. "Yikes...think that might've cracked something. You know...I think I'll let you go and have him get right on that."

Not knowing whether to laugh at the situation, Doctor Brief's instead shook his head. "Would probably be good if you did. Before something overloads it and you get turned to jello. Now then, if my calculations are correct you should be clear of the storm in about six to eight hours. But to be on the safe side of things, I'll call you to let you know for sure."

He saw Goku nod, and right as the video was cutting out he swore he heard a loud thud from the other end of the line.

* * *

><p>Anger. No. That was something he could manage. This...was something more. Only a few times could he recall such a feeling, and each time those around him often paid a heavy price.<p>

"So." he paused, observing the fear in his henchman's eyes. Normally he disliked seeing it in his closest associates. Now though, it fill him with joy. Of a very morbid flavor. "They took the dragonballs. Not only did Vegeta wreck my ship, but he and that insipid gorilla managed to steal the very objects that brought me to this insufferable rock."

"My lord, I-"

"Save it Zarbon!" Frieza barked harshly. "It doesn't matter what you think. Not now. You had your chance to apprehend the Saiyan and what did you do? Let him slip between your fingers...the only reason I'm allowing you the luxury of living is because of your past service. Your history is nothing short of excellent. However, despite such dedication my patience has a very finite limit. I don't care how you do it. Truly, I do not. But the task appointed for you is to track down those filthy apes...and bring back both Vegeta and my dragonballs. Kill his partner for all I care, painfully if at all possible."

Zarbon bowed, nodding his head submissively. "Of course. As you wish Lord Frieza."

"Remember too that I'm only giving you one fourth of a galactic cycle in which to fulfill this duty. Should it take even a nano second longer, and I will be forced to take...drastic measures. Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

Again Zarbon nodded. Wordlessly this time.

Frieza gave a very wicked smile. "Very good then." he spoke, voice sickly sweet. "One more thing...not that it is all that important. But, if anyone manages to make a wish...my wish...you will suffer for it. What horrors that will be wrought upon them shall be second only to the sheer magnitude of misery that you will experience. Should you fail of course. And you wouldn't do a thing like that to me...would you?"

Very slowly he shook his head, as if to say no. That he would succeed without doubt. His life depended on it.

"Should you not meet my deadline, I may have no choice but to contact them."

* * *

><p>"Hmm...radar says that there's a dragon ball...half a mile this way." Looking down, Yamcha could clearly see a village. "Strange that it isn't here...and that no one else seems to be around...no time to wonder what happened or why. Got to get back with the ball before Bulma wakes up and realizes I left...with her radar."<p>

Yep. Bulma was bound to be pissed. But if he made it back with another dragonball to add, then it would surely make up for it. _Then again, she is one to hold grudges over the strangest things._

He stopped flying when he saw the dot on the map centered directly below him. Looking down at the water below told him all he needed to know.

"Of course it would be at the bottom of a freaking lake." muttering to himself, the former bandit took a deep breath in preparation for his first plunge.

* * *

><p>Hours. Vegeta couldn't believe it had taken them so long to find them. And that made him angry.<p>

"You know, if your aim is that bad...I can only wonder on other things." Nappa gave a small chuckle.

The Saiyan prince ground his teeth together harshly. His comrade's sense of humor was doing nothing except piss him off even more. Only now Vegeta was beginning to think that his threats had a bit less weight...given the fact that the gulf once separating them in power had shrunk considerably. A fact that Nappa was also aware of.

"I could still kill you. Or have you somehow forgotten that fact?" his quiet yet sharp tone got the large Saiyan's attention. Almost immediately the smirk left _NappNa's_ face.

Vegeta continued to glare, feeling a bit satisfied that his words still carried some meaning after all. Something wasn't right though. He couldn't place exactly what it was though. All Vegeta knew was that it was bothering him more and more.

Enough that he was beginning to feel the urge to maim something. Or someone. Didn't really matter what. He felt something suddenly. A ki signal pricking his senses.

It was the scar faced weakling...the one that was foolish enough to have pity on him. _Yes..._thought Vegeta. _I could use a good punching bad right about now. Would be a good way to find out if he happens to know where that last dragonball is too._

"Nappa!" the shout got the big Saiyan to look his way. A look of nervousness crossed his face briefly as he recalled the threat made only moments before. "Yeah, what is it Vegeta?"

"I need you to stay here with these." Vegeta pointed to the collection of five, piled neatly on top of each other. "Anyone comes within spitting distance of them, and you are to kill them without mercy. Understand?"

He nodded. "Uh huh...but where are you running off t-" he stopped talking. By that point Vegeta had already blasted off, leaving a purple trail of ki in his wake.

* * *

><p>After what had to have been his tenth trip underwater, Yamcha was thoroughly drenched. Yet not any closer to finding the dragonball than before. <em>It's almost like someone hid it or something. <em>

"Damn it all." he swore as he threw his dripping hair out of his face. His face went white as a sheet when he felt something approaching. Quickly at that.

"Vegeta, what the hell is he coming here for? Unless...shit, I knew I should've kept my power down." He glanced back in the direction he came. _That's no good...he'd catch me in no time...and I'd be leading him back to Bulma._

"Not like it's much better, but at least I'd have some back up if I go that way." he shot off at hyper sonic speeds in the direction of Guru's place. He hated endangering the elder...but at least he might have a chance of lasting long enough for Krillin and Gohan to help.

Faster and faster he flew, without regard for how much ki he was putting out. Vegeta was onto him anyway so it didn't matter now if he advertised his location. The Saiyan was catching up fast though, and Yamcha knew that the lead he started with was going to amount to nothing very soon.

_Just another thirty seconds...you can give me that, can't you asshole? _he thought to himself desperately. When a blast flew past him he slammed to a stop. "Obviously not!"

As he turned he saw Vegeta screech to a half some hundred feet or so behind him.

"...fuck."

* * *

><p>Zarbon knew he was in deep trouble. Never mind the fact that it wasn't his fault what happened. Not entirely at least. Neither he or Frieza expected Vegeta to do something so bold. So reckless.<p>

Like a fool he had fallen for a ruse, the dust and ash covering his armor were proof of it. Now his time was running out. By his estimate he might have the tiniest fraction of a cycle remaining. Then Frieza would pursue other avenues of apprehending both renegades.

One way or another Vegeta would be captured. It would be so much better if it were himself, thought Zarbon. Not only would it please his master, but Vegeta might not be killed. At least not in such a brutal way. Despise him Zarbon certainly did. Mainly due to his arrogance and having preferred treatment...but he held a certain respect...if not sympathy for the Saiyan at times. Enough that he didn't wish him the degree of suffering Frieza could inflict.

Almost ready to give up all hope, the teal warrior saw a bright bolt of ki blaze across the sky. Perplexed he prepared to pursue, only for another to pass by. Dark purple energy. It only took him a few seconds to put two and two together. As he did so a smile crossed his face.

"Found you Vegeta." Zarbon hissed, sneering as he spoke.

* * *

><p>"Hello, weakling." Vegeta was hovering a few feet away. Arms crossed over his chest in a confident manner.<p>

"V-Vegeta!" Yamcha tried to sound assertive. "Why the hell are you following me? What do you want?"

The Saiyan gave a smirk. "Now isn't that something. As if I actually have to give you an answer when I could blast to to ash on the spot."

Yamcha tensed up. Something Vegeta caught right away. "I'll humor you though. You see...Nappa and I have made some recent...acquisitions. five of them to be exact. And I couldn't help but wonder if you or one of your friends might know where the last one is. It would be in your best interest to tell me that."

The human swallowed uneasily. Not good if those Saiyans already had that many of the dragonballs. Going by how it was phrased Yamcga would have to say that they probably had six of them. "Last of what...I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." he knew Vegeta wouldn't buy that...but anything to delay a fight. One that he stood no chance of winning.

A vein bulged in Vegeta's forehead. "Cut the bullshit, ignorant worm. Either you tell me what you know...or else."

His cocky side getting the better of him despite the magnitude of the threat, caused Yamcha to say something very foolish. "Or else what, Saiyan?"

Vegeta looked at him with a combination of shock and rage. It turned to amusement a few seconds later. "Ha. Fool...tell you the truth I'm glad you said that. Now then, how about I oblige you...by showing you exactly why it's a bad idea to refuse an order from me!"

Yamcha instinctively ducked as Vegeta threw a punch at his face. Not fast enough though to dodge the kick that nailed him hard in the ribs. Blasting his energy out was all he could do in the hopes of stunning Vegeta.

Seeing Vegeta go sailing back, only to rebound a millisecond later made the human regret goading him. Still he had to try and stall as long as possible. "Wolf Fang Strike!"

Several punches thrown, with Vegeta actually taking great care to avoid them. He remembered well what happened to Nappa on Earth. A single punch hit him in the shoulder, numbing his right arm.

"Now...Dodon Kamehameha!" Yamcha fired the yellow-blue beam straight at Vegeta. Instead of countering properly the latter held up the arm that wasn't numb, and focused as much power as possible into his palm.

A deafening explosion later and Yamcha saw the prince go smashing into the ground below. But his energy hadn't taken a hit in the slightest, all the while the former bandit knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. Using those attacks back to back were draining, and he wasn't exactly liking his odds once Vegeta picked himself up again.

As Yamcha expected, in under a minute his Saiyan opponent blasted his way out of the crater and flew back up to face him once more.

Aside from a few small burns and a split lip he seemed perfectly intact. And he looked ready to end the fight.

Before anything happened both felt a prick on their senses. A large ki signal was approaching. Rapidly, and it felt a lot like the monster who beat Vegeta only a few days before.

"Looks like you lucked out. I'll deal with the likes of you some other time...right now I have a bit of revenge to extract. So if you value your worthless little life, you'd best run away now."

_Damn. Not like I have any choice...I sensed that other guy...and Vegeta is no slouch either. They go all out and I might get blown apart in the crossfire. _A thin smile formed on his lips._ Then again, this might be the way out I was looking for._

Yamcha wasted no time in blasting off, but not before giving Vegeta the one finger salute.

"Insolent fuck...next time I see him there won't be any mercy..."

"Talking you yourself, are we now Vegeta? Finally feeling afraid what Lord Frieza is going to do with you?" Zarbon tossed his hair back over his shoulder in a haughty manner.

"Not half as scared as you should be right now." Vegeta said in retort. "One time Zarbon. You beat me to within an inch of my life. And that was one too many. This time you're in way over your head."

"Is that so? I recall that you barely put up a fight...even with help. By yourself you're defenseless... Just give up now Vegeta. I'll even try to get Lord Frieza to go easy on you-"

"Clearly you forgot something. What happens when a Saiyan manages to recover from a near death experience?" he laughed loudly. "They grow stronger...a little trigger if you will...in proportion to what injured them...and how close to dying they actually came. I was beat up bad...so shall we find out how strong I've become?"

Zarbon took a deep breath, knowing that he might have gotten a little over his head. "Be it as it may, I highly doubt it will be enough. And if you manage to beat me, you could never hold a candle to Frieaza. I'll let you on a little secret monkey...both he and I are the same in a way."

Vegeta shot him a mocking expression"And what would that be? That you're both annoying as hell, effeminate bastards?"

Electricity crackled around him, and Zarbon narrowed his eyes. "Very cute prince. But no. The secret is...I'm not the only one who can transform. Lord Frieza can as well, so what you've ever seen is only the tip of a massive, continent sized ice burg. One last chance...give up."

A small bead of sweat, a hint of fear. If that were the case..."I don't give two shits what you two have in common. It just makes it that much more urgent that I kill you...and get my wish." His hair began whipping about like a flame, as he started to raise his power up."As for that, I only have one thing to say. Go. Fuck. Yourself!"

Zarbon hastily transformed, in time to meet Vegeta's charge. To his surprise, it took him every ounce of power just to block the strike.

"So then, feeling as confident now, ugly?"

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Goku: (Exhausted, KaiokenX2): 88,000

Yajirobe: N/A

Piccolo: 31,000

Tien: 12,300, KaiokenX3: 36,900

Raditz: 20,000 (Burst of Hades): 30,000-35,378

Bardock: 28,000 , 40,000 (Both times highly suppressed)

Krillin/Gohan: Roughly the same as before.

Yamcha: 24,300 (Dodon-Kamehameha): 33,800

Vegeta: (Holding back vs. Yamcha): 30,500. Full power in excess of 37,000

Zarbon: Same as before.


	20. Danger Close

A/N: Terribly sorry to all about that lengthy break. Busy, but it was writers block that hurt me the most. Been having that off and on with this story the past month now. Unfortunate that this is a short chapter, but I wanted to get it out. Hopefully the next will be out by around the first week or so of April.

Not much else to add, so till then read and review.

* * *

><p>Vegeta.<p>

Despite being the prince's guardian for most of his early life, and guiding him as best as possible during adulthood...Nappa still had no idea what drove him to do some of the things he did.

It wasn't him taking off spur of the moment. That was expected. It was his behavior and and mannerisms in general that couldn't be predicted. All of them had been through a lot. Seen a lot. Killed hundreds of millions, if not over a billion each. Many were soldiers...people trying to kill them. Others were innocents. Civilians for all intents. He would be lying to himself if he said there weren't points that they found a sick joy in what they did. That kind of work could, no would, drive anyone crazy after a point.

For all they enjoyed about the killings...the blood...a thousand nightmares would crop up. Victims haunting them from beyond desolate graves. Disturbing, no matter how many times one saw them. Even though it was rare that they did those missions anymore, with Frieza refusing to allow his brother to use them...there was little that could be considered pleasant. Still warfare, fighting. Conquest. But in the name of a tyrant...one who enslaved and subsequently destroyed their entire people. It went against almost every tenant of Saiyan culture.

Nappa himself had heard the rumors. All of them had. Some things that he knew, he neglected to mention to Vegeta. Of what he had heard...regarding that low level rogue, Turles. Not because he wanted to spare the traitor...but to keep Vegeta from losing focus. If he went on a witch hunt for the Saiyan, it would mean drawing the ire of Frieza. And possibly making Cooler step in. God only knew how deeply that other lizard's involvement went. The proud general had a hunch. That maybe he was more to blame for Planet Vegeta's destruction than Frieza..that maybe he had some sort of spies behind the scenes. Planting little lies and half truths everywhere.

None of this could ever be proven though. Not with them constantly doing missions. So it was left alone for the most part. And they to a sense of complacency. That things would never change. Then came Raditz's ill fated trip to Earth...and the Dragonballs. That gave them more hope than any of breaking Frieza's yoke on them. Once and for all.

* * *

><p>"Is that it Zarbon? Or do I have to show you how it's done." Vegeta said through gritted teeth. Zarbon swore in his mother tongue before kicking him in the chest.<p>

Using that as a break, he followed it up by firing a green lance of ki. One that Vegeta was quick to avoid. Seeing it tear several miles out of Namek's surface made him glad that he'd followed his instinct. Another shot his way but this time the proud Saiyan was ready. Collecting a crimson sphere in his palm and tossing it at Zarbon's attack caused a mighty explosion.

One that generated a very nice smokescreen for him to hide himself in. Which allowed him to exploit a major advantage he had over his foe. Ki sensing.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid Vegeta?" Zarbon growled. "You're planning something...and I don't plan on letting you get away with it!"

Instead of charging in or even firing a blast right away he did something Vegeta didn't expect. Zarbon allowed his own energy to surround him, before taking off towards the horizon. Once he was sure he was out of Vegeta's line of sight he made a swift arc, doubling around in an instant. At the same time he did the best he could at suppressing his power. Now he was flying on momentum alone, hoping that his strategy would pay off.

Vegeta didn't have the patience to wait around, and didn't much like having his own plan foiled. Blasting the dark smoke cloud away, he did his best trying to find Zarbon's energy signature. He ground his teeth when he realized that he couldn't get an exact location. By some means Zarbon was managing to mask his ki.

Scanning all around, he spun when he felt a shift in the airflow around him. Not having time to block and as a result, the prince was smashed harshly across the face by Zarbon's massive boot.

Another strike, only this time he managed to block with his forearm. When he struck back Zarbon caught his foot. Surprising, but not enough. Vegeta whipped his upper body downward and delivered a devastating blow to his opponents face. Hissing in pain the latter let go of the Saiyan. A few teeth felt loose, which angered him greatly. Anything that damaged his face pissed him off.

"What's the matter Zarbon...are you really so vain that you'd lose your composure over a couple missing teeth?" Vegeta cackled. "Pathetic." the next thing he knew was that Zarbon was inches away, elbow already in the process of colliding with his chin. Letting out a shriek of frustration, the prince retaliated with a series of blows to the monster's mid section. Coughing up a mouthful of spit, Zarbon darted higher into the sky. In doing so he avoided taking anymore damage. And it gave him the chance to inflict some damage of his own. Flipping backwards, he smashed Vegeta over the head with the back of his heel.

In a flash his Saiyan enemy recovered, firing a series of blasts at him. Zarbon batted them all aside. Effortlessly. Soon as the last one crossed the horizon he sped in, forcing Vegeta into another grappling contest.

"I'm impressed, Zarbon." a vein was bulging in his forehead from the effort. "You're actually holding your own rather well. I didn't think you had it in you to go head to head after my little zenkai. Still...I don't think you can keep this up forever!"

He broke away before smashing Zarbon in the chest, cracking the armor. Growling his annoyance under his breath, Zarbon fired a surprise mouth blast. One that caught Vegeta off guard. For nearly a mile he found himself the unwilling passenger, before kicking the volatile ball of ki down to the ground. The explosion he was ready for. When it came to the hulking form Zarbon had assumed, not so much.

A punch to the face sent him flying backwards again. Another strike, one that he dodged nimbly enough. After that the intensity only picked up. They were going blow for blow, most would see their rapid movements as nothing but a series of blurring silhouettes and flashing lights.

Much to his continued amazement, Vegeta noted that Zarbon was keeping up with him very well. Either that power boost wasn't what he thought...or he'd greatly underestimated the beastly form his adversary had taken. It didn't matter any which way. They were near even in power. It was his superior speed that was making the difference. Still, he couldn't let himself grow too distracted. One wrong move and the entire tide of the battle could shift dramatically.

As it was, it felt as if it could take forever for Zarbon to start wearing down. Which was good, since he was only just getting started himself.

Minutes went by. Another punch blocked by one or the other. Vegeta slammed a foot down onto the top of his head, causing Zarbon's eyes to bug out. Before he could even laugh his opponent recovered. With a swift jerk he reached up, digging nails deep into Vegeta's leg. Of course he didn't plan on hanging on for long. Just enough to propel himself up, before ramming Vegeta in the gut with his head.

Coughing up a small amount of blood, Vegeta was near instant in retaliating. A vicious chop to the side of Zarbon's head, all before clasping both hands together and hammering him down into the water.

* * *

><p>Yamcha cursed both himself and his luck, flying through the largely cloudless skies of Namek. Of all people he had to try and engage in a fight, despite knowing where he stood. He was still bitter over what happened on Earth, that much he had to admit to himself.<p>

Hopefully both the Saiyan and the random goon would beat themselves senseless. That was a fleeting hope of course. Fate was unlikely to be so kind. But that didn't get him down too much. It was then that he remembered what he was out in the first place for. The dragonball. If his guess was right, he knew that he was going to fly over it soon.

Pulling out the radar and checking the map confirmed it. There was a nasty crack running across the glass, but thankfully it didn't hamper the devices ability to function.

"Just another reason for Bulma to bitch-" he stopped. He was right over the spot, and it would be for the best if he got to searching. Quickly at that.

This time he made sure to check in places he had not done so before. After several minutes and half a dozens dips later, he'd found what he had been seeking. Carrying the four star ball under his right arm, he noted with some trepidation that the Vegeta might be able to track him still. But he had to move if he wanted to get back in one piece. Fortune favoring him, the ex-bandit even figured that he might avoid a complete ass chewing when he got back. Should Vegeta catch him, he figured that Bulma would be the least of his worries. Even if she wanted to, at least she lacked the means to kill or even maim him. The arrogant Saiyan, not so much.

* * *

><p>"So Zarbon...ready to throw in the towel?" a sneer was plastered onto his face. "You're on the losing end of this fight and we both know it. So why not give in like the coward I know you are."<p>

It sounded like a question, but Vegeta knew that Zarbon wouldn't give up. Never. Not with Frieza in control.

His armor was nearly destroyed, with only the back and right shoulder plates in one piece. Cuts and burn were all over his body, and his nose probably broken. Not that Vegeta was in pristine condition himself. He carried himself well, but he was sporting his fair share of injuries. His armor was already wrecked from their previous fight, leaving him with little more than the his blue jumpsuit underneath.

But he was in far better shape to continue the fight. That was obvious to anyone. Wiping the blood away from his split lip, Vegeta scowled.

"Vegeta. You know that I can't do that. My prospects would be rather...limited, if I went back to lord Frieza empty handed. Either by his hand or yours...my fate could well be sealed. But don't let that fool you into thinking you've won. Not by any stretch. Soon. Very soon, you will wish you'd taken my offer and surrendered when you had the chance." Zarbon blinked a few times, trying to clear some of the blood from his right eye.

"Now it's too late. Lord Frieza has surely contacted the Ginyu Force by this point. Consider your days numbered...you know they aren't ones to be merciful. Last I heard they were only a few short cycles away...cleaning up some mess in the Eggsinian sector..."

_Not them..._

"The...the Ginyu force?" he half asked. If that were the case...

"Now there it is. Fear...not something I'm used to seeing in you Vegeta. You see now, how you never had a chance?" the look on Zarbon's face was proving difficult to read. "We both know how they are...every bit as ruthless and efficient as Frieza himself."

Pushing the terror aside was a challenge, but the Saiyan prince managed to do so. Instead he put on a haughty smile. He wasn't hoping to have to do something so underhanded...things like this though weren't and shouldn't be left to chance. Zarbon was a threat...one that might be able to cause significant harm even if he couldn't win.

"Actually Zarbon...you've given me more motivation than I ever thought possible. All I need is to push things along that much faster..." he sped towards the bruised fighter, ducking down towards the dirt at the last second. Smooth as could be he reached down and grabbed a tiny handful of the sandy earth.

In a flash he took to the sky, with Zarbon's fist crashing into the ground where he was only a second later.

_Yes...that's right...follow me closely now...wouldn't want you losing sight of the prize. _Vegeta smirked. He then released his little surprise, coating Zarbon's eyes in a thick layer of dust.

As his opponent howled in pain, scratching at his burning eyes...Vegeta knew that was his chance. He blasted around, before proceeding to fire blast after blast into the distracted fighters back. More screams, before he silenced them with a sharp elbow to the upper part of Zarbon's spine.

A slight crack, with the green haired monster struggling to remain aloft.

"Dirty, disgusting little savage!" he spat, eyes bulging in their sockets. "I swear I'll make you pay for that!"

Vegeta laughed. "I'd like to see you try. You power just took a huge nosedive...I'm afraid to say that it doesn't bode well for your chances of surviving."

Zarbon winced in pain, before charging Vegeta with a pained snarl. The punch blocked, only this time with considerably less effort spent on the part of the Saiyan. A second later he was smashing his opponent savagely across the face with a clenched fist. The next couple were spent pursuing Zarbon's falling form. Catching himself a few meters above the surface of the water, Zarbon managed to land a surprise kick to Vegeta's unguarded midsection.

Grunting, before engaging in another melee bout. This was far more brief than the last, and absolutely one sided. Ten seconds and several hundred blows later Zarbon found himself crashing face first into the soil of Namek. He was on his feet soon enough, in time to see that Vegeta was already there. A few feet away.

In one fluid motion he saw a blur as his smaller foe moved in. Then an explosion of pain as a single gloved hand embedded itself into his stomach. Cracking what remained of his armor, and likely at least bruising some organs.

"Now then. Any last words, some witty threat before I send you straight to hell?" Vegeta smiled cruelly. "Or are you going to beg, like Cui and Dododira did before I slaughtered them?"

An agonized chuckle came out of Zarbon's mouth. "If you're going to kill me you might as well get it over with. Lord Frieza likely won't..."he coughed, small droplets of dark red spilling down his lips."...he won't be pleased with my failure...and...you know too we'll I'd never beg for my life like those disgusting, brutish cowards. I'm far more refined than that..." by that time he had stumbled back, away from Vegeta. All of his energy seemed to have left him, and his legs felt like soggy paper. Even if he wanted to, a surprise attack was out of the question.

"So you say..." Vegeta muttered, his smirk becoming a scowl. The words triggered something, several memories. Most very unpleasant. "Then again...I do recall that you were one of the few who didn't try and make every waking moment of my life a living hell. Perhaps you deserve...something else."

He held up a hand, energy pulsating. That Zarbon thought to himself, was going to be it. "Consider this a mercy, fool. In the off chance that you actually do live, remember to never cross me again."

There was a bright flash, then a boom as the blast struck the once mighty fighter dead center. Several hundred feet later he felt himself smashing into the water. He felt himself slipping, though he couldn't be sure if it was his life ebbing away, or himself falling off the volatile beam of energy. All he knew was that every thing went dark a few seconds later.

All the while Vegeta was staring at the spot, a very displeased look on his face. Not even another glance was made, before he shot off over the horizon.

Now...he needed rest. If the Ginyu force was indeed on their way...

* * *

><p>Left. Right. Dodging each blow was proving a greater challenge than he thought. In the back of his mind he was at least thankful that Doctor Briefs made this room so durable. Otherwise they might have had major problems with how intense some of the sparing sessions were getting.<p>

Instantly he powered up to near halfway. Now Goku could track Yajirobe's movements with ease. Almost like they were happening in slow motion.

"Kaioken!" With that the samurai's body was enveloped in a blazing red aura. And he was back in Goku's face, forcing him on the defensive once more.

"You really have-" Goku dodged a punch, resuming where he left off a second later."-improved a lot. The Kaioken really does-" he swept his opposites feet from underneath him."-seem like it comes naturally to you."

For a moment they paused, and Yajirobe dropped the aura. "Yeah it does. Not quite enough to keep up with you..." he laughed.

"Still..." Goku pressed a finger to his cheek. "I'm glad that you'll at least have my back when we get to Namek. Who knows what all we'll run across there...with that Frieza person things might get pretty nasty."

* * *

><p>Neither Krillin or Gohan could accurately describe the relief they felt when Yamcha managed to slip away from Vegeta. He was in way over his head, and both feared that they would have to step in and help. That wasn't necessary, as the other massive power from before provided him the time to get away. Each sensed it clearly.<p>

Then the other large ki took a nosedive, before seemingly vanishing altogether. Both decided that they had spent more than enough time away, but one final warning from the grand elder served to set them even more on edge.

Five large powers would arrive on Namek in a few days time. How strong they were, he couldn't quite say. Just that their intentions weren't pleasant, and that they had powers unlike any the Earthlings had ever encountered. Now more than ever they needed to get all the dragonballs, and get off the planet before those individuals arrived. Something that was looking very unlikely, as those were in the possession of the other two Saiyans. And they didn't seem the type to just hand them over without a fight.

What they knew was that once things settled down they would need to head back to where Bulma had set up their little base. As long as Vegeta or Nappa didn't decide to trail Yamcha things might still work themselves out well enough.

* * *

><p>Piccolo knew things were about to go from bad to worse. Quickly too. King Kai had told him of what was happening on Namek. Of who Frieza had contacted. As if that all powerful tyrant wasn't enough for him to worry about...adding in these characters made things that much more desperate. The worst thing about it, the part that infuriated him the most, was that he was utterly powerless to stop any of it. Some of these warriors made Vegeta seem like a joke...but that wasn't what bothered the Namekian so much.<p>

No. He wasn't afraid of facing down opponents that outclassed him. That was what his entire existence was based upon. Fact was, he was dead. Unable to lift so much as a finger to assist anyone. Meaning that unless they managed to collect the dragonballs, all his training was for naught. Yet that was the problem. They needed all the help they could to collect those mystical orbs, but they needed to make the wishes needed in order to get that help. The most annoying catch 22 that he had ever heard of.

Goku and that fat samurai were what this whole thing was riding on now. If King Kai was correct, he should arrive on Namek in time. Anything could happen before then though...and if he was even a few hours late...everyone might be slaughtered.

He'd been watching along with the Kaio as Goku grew stronger. More than he had expected the Saiyan to in such a short time. Yajirobe too. Piccolo figured that if what King Kai allowing him to sense was correct, that he himself might be at a serious disadvantage if Yajirobe ramped the kaioken up very high.

All he knew...was that he wanted to be alive again. Needed to be. Not only to protect Gohan and fight alongside his allies, but to protect the home planet of his race.

* * *

><p>Without so much as a sound Vegeta touched down. He'd spent so much time letting his mind wonder, digging deep to try and come up with a plan. In the end all he got was very little. Half a cycle at least since he'd last been here, more time spent thinking than fighting. He still felt tired from the fight with Zarbon, that did little to help him.<p>

The second Nappa saw him he knew something was very, very wrong. His ki felt off, though disregarding that, it was still obvious that something major was going to go down soon.

He was about to ask, till Vegeta opened his mouth to speak. "It's the Ginyu Force. They're coming here."

And with that, the former general nearly found himself regretting his curiosity. It didn't matter how Vegeta heard that...what mattered was how long it would take them to get to Namek. To know that...they would have to somehow figure out where they were at now.

"I see. That...is bad news. If we teamed up we might be able to take one of'em down at a time. But the second we tried you know what would happen. Even if we got lucky and the rest didn't jump us, there would still be the captain. Power beyond belief...and that doesn't touch his other ability...the reason that Frieza himself is careful with him..." Nappa ground his teeth, annoyed at the desperation of their situation.

"Any idea where they might be now...I think I can made a good estimate if I had some sort of idea on that." he looked at Vegeta tensely.

The prince sighed. "Zarbon said they were last in the Eggsinian Sector. All I got out of him at least."

Nappa paused, deep in thought. After a few hasty mental calculations he thought he had a good timetable for their arrival. "That is pretty far away. Just...not far enough for my liking. Our ships might take nearly a dozen cycles, but last I knew the Ginyu's were using the Fx1T Model. It's about 527% faster than our pieces of junk...some of the latest in Planet Trade tech. So at best, I'd say we have two cycles...probably less though."

A burst of ki hit Nappa, but Vegeta suppressed his power a nanosecond later. "Wonderful news then. Then that means that we can't afford to be siting around anymore...we need to get those blasted dragonballs...and we need to get our immortality. It hurts my pride to think it, but there might not be any other way."

"What do you mean by that, Vegeta?"

A sneer formed on the prince's lips. Clearly this thought disgusted him. "Something I never could have envisioned when we first got to this rock...those damn Earthlings...they might be exactly what we need to tip the scales..."

* * *

><p>A few seconds after he landed Yamcha felt two powerful ki signatures closing in. As he looked to the sky, he found himself smiling in relief. For a moment he'd thought he'd slipped up and let the wrong people follow him back.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Power Levels:<strong>

Vegeta: 39,800

Zarbon: Same as before

Goku: 40,000 (Suppressed)

Yajirobe (Kaioken): Below 40,000

Piccolo: Stronger than before


	21. A Deal with the Devil

A/N: And that concludes our 1-year, unofficial hiatus. Holy hell though it is been a hectic year. I apologize to anyone interested in making them wait so long. If you're still interested, then I commend you on that. My life was chaotic, and then I hit a lot of writers block, and pretty much lost all motivation to write anything DB related for very long time. Spent the last 6 months work on this chapter. Most of what you will read was done in the last 30 days.

Everyone might also notice that the story summary and name were updated. For good reason. I figured a change was needed, especially after such a long stint of absence. I can't promise when the next chapter will be, only that I'm starting it now. I don't want to burn myself out on this so I'm not forcing myself to write when I don't feel it, but I'm shooting to have it out before the 1st of May.

If anyone notices any oddities or inconsistencies with other chapters, please let me know. I reread most of the story again, but I'm still not 100% sure it all lines up. So if you notice anything particularly jarring, feel free to let me know either by review or PM.

* * *

><p>Only two days and a couple odd hours. Then he and Yajirobe would be touching down on Namek. Both were still spending most of their free time training, though they had already dialed down significantly on the intensity.<p>

There was really not point when the gains would be so miniscule. All it would do was make them exhausted before potentially having to face down Vegeta. Or worse. Frieza.

The focus was on meditation and technique. On making the absolute most efficient use of the power they had, so that no energy ended up be wasted. Tactics. What they might be up against were discussed, with concern and apprehension from Yajirobe and excitement from Goku.

* * *

><p>Nappa smirked, feeling content with himself. Vegeta was close by, having been on his heels the moment Nappa told him that he'd located them. After spending some time resting, recovering as much energy as possible after fighting Zarbon the proud Saiyan was very dead set on the course of action. First they would find those Earthlings, then through whatever means necessary they would persuade them to offer their assistance.<p>

Now the former general had found the humans little base. It was a blow to his pride to have to go this route, but the older Saiyan was far more willing to do it than his younger comrade. There were after all times when one had to put logic and common sense before pride. That Nappa knew was Vegeta's biggest flaw. That he didn't know when to place his pride on the back burner. At least, this showed that he was learning.

Nappa spent a few moments scoping the area out with his new found ki sensing. All of them were inside that cave, tempted as he was to blast it and flush them out; it simply wasn't worth the risk of destroying one of the dragonballs. Should they have one, which he suspected they did.

While he was preparing to make his move, he heard a voice in his head.

_'Well are we going to hang about, floating up in the sky all day?'  
><em>

Vegeta sounded angry. Nappa wanted to laugh at his frustration, but the seriousness of the situation wouldn't allow for it. Instead he focused on the mental link.

_'No of course not. I think we should drop on in. Give them a nice little surprise. '_

_'Yes...and together we should be able to...convince them to...help our cause.'_

Nappa lowered himself to the ground. In about five seconds Vegeta appeared next to him. For a few seconds they stopped hiding their powers. Only briefly, since they didn't dare risk somehow drawing Frieza out, but it was long enough. Within moments it was obvious they'd gotten the humans attention.

Except for something a little unexpected. All three warriors rushed out, instead of cowering inside in fear, like expected. Instead of looking terror stricken, each looked very determined to stand their ground.

Something Vegeta noticed was that the half saiyan was in the middle, being flanked on either side by those useless humans. As if their only purpose was mere back up. _Could he really be that much stronger than them..._

Crossing his arms over his chest, the prince laughed softly. "So we meet again, peons. I wish I could say that the pleasure is all mine...a shame that is not the case."

"What exactly are you playing at, Vegeta?" Krillin was keeping an eye on both Saiyans. Ready to fight for his life should then need arise.

Lowering his arms, Vegeta felt the need to take a single breath. In an effort to quell his frustration. Mostly to keep him from punching something or someone. "There are no games. Only a single choice. Surely you sensed the battle between me and that feminine bastard...enough that you know how powerful I am. Now that I've eliminated his right hand freak, Frieza has gotten desperate. He's already contacted his mercenary unit...the Ginyu Force."

Krillin's thoughts hearkened back to the warning from the elder Namek. Not something he was going to let slip to either hostile Saiyan. He wouldn't dare risk the elders life.

"You fools have no idea what they are capable of. Five warriors...three of which might be even stronger than me. And their leader...all of us combined would stand no chance against him. That isn't counting the abilities that those mutants have. So with that said, I think it's time that I cut to the chase.

I have a sneaking suspicion that you have the last dragonball...and with the six that Nappa and I have, that makes seven. Meaning that it would be in your best interest to hand it over." he stopped, thinking for a moment. Hoping they would simply give it up without argument.

"With that I can finally get my immortality...and with the gift of eternal life mine I will be free to focus on my true goal of becoming the legendary...the first one in over a thousand years. With that power I will rip through Frieza's empire, straight up to the lizard himself...and he will know for the first time in his wretched life what true terror feels like."

"We can't let you do that Vegeta...we need those to bring back our friends...the same ones whose deaths you two are responsible for." Yamcha took a step forward. He was not going to back down, not this time.

By now the answer didn't come as a huge surprise to Vegeta or Nappa. Of course just because it didn't shock them didn't mean they liked the retort. "Don't you idiots get it?" spittle flew from Vegeta's mouth, as he rambled frantically. "We need that wish, it's our only way of not being slaughtered. Bring them back some other time, since they'll probably end up getting killed again with as weak as they are!"

"Then you don't get it!" Gohan took a step toward them, trembling in anger. "If more than a year passes, they can't be brought back! All of them would be gone forever...I can't let that happen...and I won't. There has to be another way...let us bring Piccolo and the others back, then-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before a very angry prince rushed forward, grabbing him up by the shirt. "You listen to me brat, and listen well. All of you. We need our wish, and nothing...nothing will get stop us!"

Then Vegeta sensed it. Right as Gohan's aura came to life, with just enough force to make him to let go. Quickly. "Idiot child, do you want to draw Frieza here?"

Despite keeping a neutral expression up..the little outburst was making Vegeta think over his strategy. He'd never considered the possibility that any one of them could be this strong. _His power...for that instant it felt as if he might've been nearly my equal...yet that wasn't everything he had...he was holding back something. To think that a wretched little halfling might rival me, the prince...that... _Vegeta slowly let a pleased smirk on his lips as he thought over the implications more closely. '_...that could prove most useful..._

Gohan quickly powered down. Doing anything to get Frieza's attention would be very bad for any long term survival prospects.

"I see that maybe...maybe I overplayed my hand." Vegeta still had that smirk on his face. Which was doing nothing in regards to making any of the humans feel any better on his intentions.

"You think?" Krillin said rhetorically. Of course he was astonished that Gohan had that much power, but he wasn't going to let on how shocked he was. Sensing that made him a lot more optimistic on their odds against those two. And even if Nappa was as strong as Vegeta, which Krillin had his doubts on, he and Yamcha would be enough to take him down. If not kill, they could surely incapacitate him. All three striking together and Vegeta would have no chance. In theory, if it came to that.

It was obvious too that both Saiyans were thinking the same thing. That perhaps they had underestimated the humans. Greatly.

"No matter though." the prince speaking drew their attention. "I know that you have a dragonball...and one way or another you will hand it over to us. Of course, you could keep refusing...but then you'd be dooming yourselves. If I were immortal, then we would have a chance."

"Even if we trusted you enough, and believe me when I say that we don't-" Yamcha was being cautious in his choice of words. Despite feeling much more confident with Gohan and his ability to handle Vegeta, the former bandit didn't wish to take an unnecessary risks. "We only have one of the balls, and that got tossed across the ocean the moment we sensed you two heading our way." It was a bit of a lie. They did toss one, the other was hidden in a nook adjacent to the cave that they were using for a base. Not that he was planning on letting either Saiyan know that. Hell he hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Gohan or Krillin.

"Insufferable fucking simpletons!" growled Vegeta, frustrated by the blatant stupidity before him. "It would still be in our best interest to get it. Wouldn't want Frieza or his men to happen upon it, and we certainly wouldn't want the Ginyus showing up early and us not having a wish made." What he meant was in his best interest. Phrased carefully, and leaving the wish part ambiguous enough so that they wouldn't ask too many questions.

Both Krillin and Gohan gave Yamcha annoyed looks. "Wait...you chucked the dragonball?" Krillin didn't sound happy either. "You didn't even ask us...and did that...I mean I don't trust them any more than you do, but...and I hate to say it...but captain arrogance over there does have a point. What if those freaks show up earlier than we think...or something happens to the elder?"

Yamcha found himself taking a small step back, as a drop of sweat dripped down his eyebrow. "Yeahhhhhh...I guess I didn't think that one through too well...that would be bad..." he paused for a second. "We should probably try and find it then, right?"

"We?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow as he shot him a glare. "If I was hearing things right, it was your moronic idea in the first place, so maybe you should take your worthless hide out and find the damn thing yourself."

"And you're in no position to be giving orders." Krillin looked defiant. "We fight and we either kill or beat each other senseless...which would do half of Frieza's work for him. I...I for one don't like the idea of working with you two, but if that is what it takes for this to work...I'll take it."

Vegeta was stunned. Stunned that the human was standing up to him so boldly. Stunned too that he was right. If they fought now, they would be doing most of the job themselves. No Ginyu Force needed. "I see your point then human. Fine. All of you can go find the ball for all I care-"

Gohan looked up at him. "No, I think you should go with us. More of us means a better chance at finding it...which means that we can summon the dragon sooner." _And...I really don't want to leave Bulma alone with them..._

Clenching his fists, the prince looked to Nappa. He spoke at barely a whisper. "Well I think that does put us in a bit of a bind. For now, we will allow them to have their way. But when we get the balls, all bets are off."

The big Saiyan just shrugged his shoulders. Right now they simply needed to find the dragonballs. "Fine Vegeta."

Nappa narrowed his eyes at the humans. "We'll go along with you. You just better have some idea where that ball is. Otherwise we'll all be having some problems."

Yamcha, who still had the radar, was the first to blast off. Followed by Gohan and Krillin, with the two Saiyans trailing a bit behind them.

* * *

><p><em>On Earth<em>

Clenching his metallic fists, the mercenary hurtled a ball of energy into the cliff facing. A satisfied smirk formed as he observed the results. The entire plateau was gone, replaced by a small, gently sloping crater.

That smile vanished when he recalled why he was out here, pushing himself like this. It had been about two weeks. Two weeks since they managed to slay those scientists. Two weeks since he had managed to rescue his still ungrateful brother. Two long weeks that he'd been forced to endure this.

To think that he, the cold blooded killer, had given some of his own energy to save the life of that decrepit old turtle hermit. When he himself was running almost on empty. Wracking his brain did nothing. He had no idea what prompted such a...generous and detestable act. Probably the same thing that made him save the life of Son Goku months back.

It was irritating in some ways how soft he felt himself becoming. Yet perhaps it wasn't all bad. No, it didn't have to be. He'd witnessed what had happened to people like Wheelo...and had heard of the fate that befell the original Piccolo Daimao.

Perhaps it was advantageous to err on the side of neutrality. At least in terms of preserving his life.

Which reminded him. He had just received a call. Some mob boss had been stepping on the wrong toes...attempting to murder all his rivals in one fell swoop. Those actions had caused some serious collateral damage...nearly leveling a small town on the outskirts of Central City. That was hardly Tao's problem of course. But the reward for that man's death or capture...was a staggering fifty million Zeni. An offer far to big to pass up...especially since the mercenary had spent nearly his entire savings on this body and the many upgrades he'd needed.

So without much effort, he plucked a small tree from the earth. Running a wave of ki over it shredded the bark and branches, making it's surface far smoother to the touch. Except the tip, which was sharp as any dagger. Scanning the directions, he quickly figured out where he needed to go. With a mighty toss he chucked the log, before leaping on top of it as it flew.

Yes. This one was all for the money. Or so he told himself.

* * *

><p>They spent a good twenty minutes flying. Every now and then one of the group would glance back at the two Saiyans. To make sure they weren't up to anything.<p>

Once they were over the spot each of them began taking turns, checking the bottom on the ocean.

"So what if it was my idea to toss the damn thing...it made sense at the time...so obviously lending a helping hand without biting my head off would be asking too much." he grumbled to himself.

"Kind of did it to yourself with that one man." Krillin wiped some water off his bald head. "I get why you did it, even if it's still a pain."

"Hey guys!" shouted Gohan. Everyone looked, including Vegeta and Nappa. "I found it. I found the dragonball!"

Vegeta smirked. "Did you now?"-"That means that we have all of them. Remember what I said earlier?" he looked at Nappa, then back to the humans. "I said that you would hand over, one way or another."

"Don't do this...us fighting now will do nothing...except get us all killed." Gohan clenched his free hand into a fist.

"Fight? No...I'm not going to fight you. Not till after I deal with Frieza and the Ginyu's. All of the dragonballs have been in villages...don't you wonder how Nappa and I came across ours?"

He calmly folded his arms over his chest. The expressions of muted horror on their faces made him nearly chuckle. "Oh...they aren't dead. Only Nappa and myself know what happened...where they are. This can go two ways. Either of them ends with Nappa and myself leaving you idiots unharmed for the moment...and assuming you do the right thing by giving us the dragonball...I will extend the same courtesy to those slugs. Should you fail to do so, whatever happens to them will be your fault. There are so many ways to kill a group of people, trust me...I have a vivid imagination and a lifetime of experience."

"You bastard-" Krillin yelled, or started to. Yamcha cut him off. "Go ahead...give them the dragonball. I doubt they'll even figure out how to use them anyway. If what the prince of all assholes said is the truth, and isn't a bluff...I don't want those deaths on my conscious."

"A very wise choice." Vegeta was grinning almost from ear to ear. "Much smarter than I gave you credit for, and it might even keep you alive awhile longer."

His smirk changed into something close to a snarl. "The dragonball, now."

"Of course, your highness." Yamcha mocked, tossing the large sphere to Vegeta. Catching it with a single hand, he turned his head to Nappa. With a single nod the two blasted off over the horizon.

Then came the time to turn to face the others. Again.

"Ya know something...I don't think we should have handed it over like that. I mean yeah...I don't think he was bluffing...but handing it over to them just like that probably wasn't a good idea. Now we're even worse off than where we started." Krillin clenched his fist. The entire situation felt hopeless. Like there was no right answer.

"Well...I kind of had a fallback plan." Yamcha was trying his best to look confident. In reality he wasn't so sure. "But...we should be getting back to Bulma really fast. Because my plan might have one problem with it."

"And that would be?" Krillin deadpanned.

Yamcha was wondering if his plan was such a good one. Better than nothing he supposed. "I kinda managed to steal one of their dragonballs...and I'd give them about ten minutes before they realize something is up."

"Of..wait...you what!?" That made everyone worry. "No time now, but if we make it out of this I'm going to have some words with you."

Right before they could take off the bald monk thought of something else. "Or, I think I'll just let Bulma deal with you."

That made the bandit pale.

* * *

><p>Finally they had all seven. Immortality as good as theirs.<p>

Nappa was flying right alongside Vegeta, the massive orange orb held tightly in one arm.

"There. This is the spot." Vegeta slammed to a halt, his cohort following suite a second later. "Soon as I recover this one...we'll head back and make our wish. Then we should have the power to take on Frieza and those idiot Ginyus."

Without pause the diminutive Saiyan plunged below the surface of the green sea. As he reached the bottom where he'd hid the ball, he felt something was amiss.

_"What in the hell?__" _Vegeta wondered to himself. _"I know it was here...somewhere...surely the ocean current couldn't have washed it that far."_ Several minutes he spent holding his breath, scanning the ocean bed hundreds of feet in every direction. Something wasn't right, and he was quickly growing frustrated.

It wasn't just him. Nappa had dived in, and quickly started analyzing the situation. Hastily the Saiyan general looked to Vegeta. _"It's...there isn't much of a way it couldn't have gone that far. You...you don't think someone took it? Do you?"_

For a moment he pondered the possibility. Of all the people who could have done so. The list...incredibly small. Frieza's men were in to much of a disorganized state to look...so that left one option.

"_Him!"_ Roared Vegeta, both mentally and outloud_. "That insipid, scar faced weakling! He took our dragonball!"_ His rage reaching a boiling point, Vegeta shot upwards, sending a spray of water all around as he burst to the oceans surface.

"When I get my hands on him; on all of them, they will pay!" His aura flared to life right as Nappa reached open air. Spending only enough time to get his bearings, Vegeta quickly shot off towards the place the Earthlings were hiding.

* * *

><p>They'd relocated, hastily at that, to a much better location. It wasn't a cave, but rather underwater. Inside a small submersible that Bulma had brought along in capsule form. It had been in case any of the dragonballs were in deep water, and it wasn't safe or feasible to get them any other way.<p>

Yamcha had taken an earful from Bulma. Now he was sitting as far as possible away, Krillin and Gohan thinking along the same lines.

"Man, she really let you have it this time. You kind of took a big risk with that. Gohan's strong, but I'd hate for him to have to take on Vegeta this soon." Krillin shuddered at the thought.

The former desert bandit could agree. "Tell me about it. I tried fighting him, and that didn't go good. Not going to lie to you Krillin, I'm pretty glad that our fight was interrupted."

"Probably-" In the middle of saying the next word he paused. "You guys catch that?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah...that...feels like Vegeta...heading to where we just were."

"And he's bringing that Nappa guy with him, or something. It's a really good thing Bulma thought ahead."

On the other side of the room said person muttered. "_Someone has to_."

"Guess now we have to wait it out..." Krillin tapped his forehead as if to help himself think of something faster.

For a moment the half saiyan considered something. "I think I might have an idea."

* * *

><p>"Damn. Zarbon failed." Frieza ground his teeth before assuming an air of cold indifference. Then he turned, in time to pluck a glass of wine from a servants hand. With a wave he dismissed the man. How he wanted to release his frustration. Such uncouth behavior would never do. Murdering subordinates was something he had to do from time to time. But not on a whim, for no reason. That was Cooler's area of specialty.<p>

He pressed a button on his hoverchair. A hologram instantly popped up. The being behind it raised a hand in salute, even if it was hard to see anything due to static and other interference. "Captain. I trust that the task I doled out to you and your men was completed. And to my impeccable standards."

The horned emperor kept a blank expression as the aforementioned captain affirmed that the deed had been done. "Very good. Now then. You're already well aware no doubt of the pressing issue on Namek ."

The figure nodded.

"I was hoping you'd committed it to memory. You know how loathe I am of repeating myself." Frieza took a small sip before turning his eyes back to the projection. "However, there has been a change of plans. I need you to do anything in your power to move your schedule up. This is a very delicate matter, and both of my best men have let me down. Sad, but it also means that I will be requiring your services even sooner. I...hope that it won't be of any inconvenience to you or your men." His tone was sincere. A predatory smirk appeared on his lips a few seconds later.

"No sir, Lord Frieza. In fact...my men and I are currently a short hop away. I'll just inform them that the recital with be postponed...expect us there in under a galactic cycle, my lord."

Frieza's grin grew wider, and a small amount of warmth entered it briefly. "You would do well to keep to that. I'll arrange for an advance in your payment. And if this operation goes off without a hitch, you will all be rewarded. Tremendously."

"Thank you, Lord Frieza."

"As always Captain. A pleasure doing business with you." Frieza heard the Ginyu leader barking orders to his men. _"All right everyone, on to Namek now! Double time! First one to the pod gets free cand-" _With that a bead of sweat rolled down his eye, and Frieza hastily hit the disconnect button.

* * *

><p><strong>Power levels (<strong>As to be expected)**:**

Gohan: 37,700

Everyone one else is either unchanged, or too much of a spoiler to reveal.


	22. The Coming Storm

A/N: Imagine that. Me posting this update on time.

Getting right to the battle with the Ginyu Force, though I will say that there will be some key differences than in canon. Thanks to both Nappa and Yamcha being present. Anyone is free to speculate as to what might change.

Next chapter, I'm hoping to have up and ready by the 4th of July. So until then have patience (lol. If you managed to keep paying attention though the year of downtime, a couple months shouldn't be too bad.), and read and review this one.

* * *

><p>He felt it consuming him. That primal, base instinct. The urge to simply kill. Slaughter and destroy. Them.<p>

By the time he'd gotten back to their little hideout Vegeta had calmed himself just enough to feel confident that he wouldn't start tearing of limbs the second he caught sight of any of the humans. Anything else, well that was fair game.

No energy signals below. Of course his ki sensing wasn't perfect. And they could suppress their power to almost nothing. Didn't matter. Come hell or high water he was going to flush them out.

"Well then. So we have to do this the hard way." Energy formed in the palm of his hand. Crackling as he put just the right amount into it. Then he extended his arm sharply, firing it into the side of the cliff facing.

Vegeta put a hand in front of his face as the gust of wind from the blast threw dust and smoke all around.

A small crater where the rocky outcropping once was. Along with a lot of debris from the makeshift hideout. What wasn't there was any sign of the blasted Earthlings. There wasn't enough power in the blast to have done much damage to any of them, so that left a single and very obvious conclusion.

Nappa had just caught up, and his face paled when his prince turned his steely gaze towards him. "Well...I take it they managed to get away."

"Aren't we the brilliant one. Such a deduction could have been spotted by Dodoria." It pissed him off. Not only Nappa, but especially the humans. "They played us Nappa. Well...this isn't over by a long stretch. When we catch up with them, all bets are off. We will take our dragonball back no matter what."

The bald Saiyan scratched his head in thought. "Well...remember...we still have the all mighty 'Ginyu Force' to deal with...personally I'd love to knock the humans skulls together for robbing us of that ball. Except...where would that leave us...especially if the Ginyu's get here sooner than we're ready for?"

Definitely a wrench in the plan. "That is a problem." his immense anger had subsided to a dull ache. "And I'm not sure we'll be ready without that wish. So...I think we play along with the game...corner them...remind them of a few choice things...and with their backs against the wall...we take back what's ours."

* * *

><p>"Well, good thing we got outta there." Yamcha had eased closer to Bulma. Who thankfully, at least to him, seemed less angry.<p>

"Yeah, but what do you guys plan on doing right now?" Still angry. It didn't take long for him to realize that. "They still got six dragonballs, and...all you did was really piss them off...right?"

Krillin couldn't help but agree. Something needed to be thought of, and fast. "We could try to sneak in to where they are hiding them..we still have the radar...right Yamcha?"

The bandit noticed the suspicious look Krillin was shooting his way. "Hey, don't sweat it. I still got the thing." he fumbled around in his pocket, till finally he found the device. "Here, see?"

Yamcha held the radar in front of Krillin. Six dots, all clustered in a single spot. Proof that it still worked at least. And that Vegeta and Nappa were keeping them together.

"Good to see you didn't screw everything up at least." Bulma then sighed. "Still doesn't help if those creeps are guarding them the whole time."

Which Krillin figured, they probably were. "They'd probably expect us to make the first move...and somehow I doubt they'd be willing to cooperate now...not that I ever trusted them before."

"Isn't there some kind of password?" It was such a random statement. But Gohan remembered that the one's on Earth did. So that meant the same for these. Especially with what he remembered. "Didn't Nail say something about one? That it was in their language or something like that? And...didn't Guru say something about wishes?"

Yamcha snapped his fingers. "As in more than one? Great memory, you really are awesome." He gave the boy a thumbs up. "That makes me wonder...maybe...that..." Like lighting a spark of brilliance hit him. "That is something we can hold over those jerks. If there is more than a single wish...we can use it...to..."

"To first bring back everyone they killed." Bulma interjected. "Because...they kind of owe us that. Then we let them have their stupid wish. "

Krillin wasn't so sure on that idea. "I don't know...not so sure how I like that. People like them of all else...I would never want them to be immortal or anything...they're bad enough already."

Right away the former desert marauder sighed. "Me either man. But...we might be up against something way worse...something Goku might not be able to handle on his own...and they...they don't seem to be on good terms with either those Ginyu guys or Frieza...so...I guess the enemy of my enemy..."

Once again Bulma finished his sentence. "...the enemy of the enemy is our unfortunate ally of convenience."

* * *

><p>Slowly but surely a game of cat and mouse ensued across Namek. At first they'd wanted to simply make a break for the elder Namekian. That proved to be foolhardy the second they raised their power levels too high. Like predatory hawks Vegeta and Nappa began homing in, forcing the three to suppress their energy down to almost nothing.<p>

Then they ran across Namek for Kami only knew how many miles, till they were confident they'd evaded their would be pursuers. Hiding among the planets many rock formations, Gohan made out a small increase in ki in the distance. From what he could tell it was cloaked in frustration. Then it winked out, becoming almost imperceptible to anyone not well versed in reading energy signals.

Yamcha breathed a sight of relief. "That was pretty close." His brow furrowed in concentration. "Feels like they're moving away now..."

Hearing that, the bald fighter stood up tentatively. "Yep...a few more minutes and we should be safe to move out."

"Only this time...we probably shouldn't move so fast...right? That way we don't put out so much energy." Gohan chimed in.

"Agreed. We got a little careless with that...and it could really have cost us."

That made Krillin chuckle. "You're one to talk, with your brilliant ideas...it's a miracle we've gotten this far."

All the pony tailed human could do was give an embarrassed look. With caution the three took off, leaping over a thousand feet in a single bound. Then another, and another. At the rate they were going, it took them the better part of an hour just to travel a couple hundred miles. That was complicated when they thought they felt Vegeta or Nappa's moving closer their position.

Finally after several solid hours they landed for a while to take a small break. It had several trees around, and while it wouldn't pass for a forest, the extra coverage did a good enough job of obscuring their forms from anyone casually flying by.

A fact that made it safer than at least hanging about in the open like sitting ducks.

More than once this happened. They'd move a couple hundred miles at a time, stop and rest for a few hours. Then rinse and repeat. Eventually they felt the faint signatures coming from the Grand Elder's location. Enough that they knew they were within a few short miles. All of a sudden they felt something extremely alarming. Not Vegeta or Nappa.

"You guys...you feel that energy?" Gohan was nervous. Afraid. What he was sensing seemed...vast...chaotic. And definitely not something to trifle with.

If either could read the boys mind at the moment, neither would disagree with the sentiment. Krillin was the first to speak. "I do...and man...this must be what Guru meant...Vegeta wasn't kidding either...they seem pretty far still...but I can tell we don't have much time."

Yamcha swallowed. "Yeah...and there is one...I think that one feels...over twice as strong as Vegeta...easily...I can't...you know...actually tell for sure either...just that we need to get going now."

"Are you-"

Gohan interrupted the monk. "I-I'm with Yamcha. We need to hurry...or else...this might be for nothing."

There was little doubt that taking off would alert both Saiyans of their location. And that it would lead to a potentially nasty confrontation. With the soon approaching threat, both adults knew that this was the best chance to force an alliance. Because that might be the only way to hold off till Goku arrived.

* * *

><p>"This is bad." Tien removed his hand from the Kai's shoulder. "From what I just saw, we might be running into a snag."<p>

Piccolo knew well about what was going on regarding the Dragonballs. Along with Vegeta and Nappa. Both he and the two humans had been pressuring King Kai around the clock, forcing him to keep them updated.

"And what would that be?" Somehow the answer felt threatening. He was also aware of the approaching threat. Very. There were five of them. Frieza's elite mercenary unit. "Let me take a guess...does it have something to do with those Ginyu fools?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so." Answered the blue deity. "Looks like they will be arriving on Namek sooner than expected...within the next hour. So unless they pull a miracle out of their hat-" he paused to snicker.

Piccolo scowled. "Do you have to have a joke every time you speak?"

King Kai waved his hands defensively. "Killjoy...anyway...yes. Unless they figure something out quick things won't be looking bright for them."

"Great. So while we're stuck here doing nothing, they'll soon be fighting for their lives. And if they fail..." That was something Tien preferred not to think about.

The god sighed. "Then I'll have two of the most dull roommates, to be stuck with for the rest of eternity."

"I'd like to think they won't. All of them are great warriors..." More so it was wishful thinking. They couldn't fail, because that would mean certain death now. Things had gone this far, too much so for Gohan to be killed. "If they can force those worthless Saiyans into cooperating...they might have a chance to hold out till Goku shows up. I hate to say it, but at that point that dimwit is our last hope. So he'd best not let us down."

Something Chaoutzu remembered seemed important. "Goku's never done that before. He's always came through for everyone."

At that the tricops nodded. "That's right. Even though I hate putting my faith in any single person, Goku is probably one of the best. After all, if what King Kai's said his true then his and Yajorobe's training has really paid off."

Piccolo nearly choked. "Wait. He is with Goku? Why is it that no one told me that?"

"That's on a need to know basis...and with your attitude you'll never make that list." said the North Kaio with a chuckle and the wag of a finger. Then he saw the vein bulging in the Namekian's head. "...but...in the future I will keep you better informed." _'I'd hate to lose my car over that temper of his.'_

"Disregarding that." Tien looked to King Kai, then to Piccolo. "Say Piccolo. I think it'd be good to give our powers one last stress test...and you probably need to blow off some steam...so I figure why not nail two birds with one stone."

"A spar?" At first he looked confused. Then came a devious smirk. "You know what, I was thinking the exact same thing. Saves me the trouble of asking."

The two squared off, before getting into their respective stances. All the while King Kai was wondering precisely how much say he had in the whole thing.

* * *

><p>"Almost there." Grunted Yamcha. The giant pillar of rock with the elder's house was less than a thousand feet. It was only when Gohan felt both Vegeta and Nappa approaching did he slam to a halt.<p>

Krillin and the former bandit followed suite immediately. They felt it too, and both were drawing some bad...though likely accurate conclusions. "Remember when we lost them earlier...now...I'm not quite so sure we did. They'll be on us in just a minute..."

"And I don't want to risk Guru being hurt...so...both of you go ahead...Nail...he seemed strong, maybe he could help." Gohan gulped slightly. He wasn't all that thrilled at the idea, but didn't see much other way. "I'm definitely the strongest, so I can hold them off...I think-"

That was when the bald fighter disagreed. "No, I don't think so. Your mom and dad wouldn't forgive me if I let you, and...Piccolo would probably outright murder me. So...I'm sticking with you." he looked to Yamcha. "You should go now, try get him to help us."

After grumbling for a moment Yamcha nodded. "Fine...I guess so."

* * *

><p>Vegeta found himself chuckling. A few more seconds and he would be able to get his hands on those little fools. How they would regret playing games with him. Nappa had urged him to not to go too crazy.<p>

Not right away. How he wanted to punch his foolish general. Repeatedly. But this wasn't the time.

As if on cue Nappa nearly came to a halt. "Holy shit...I only felt it for a second...but did you sense that?"

Feeling out with his senses, a drop of sweat formed on his head before being evaporated by his aura. "Damn it all." They were close now. Close enough that if he focused his senses out to space he could faintly feel them. One stood out more than the others, and that was the one that made all the hairs on him stand on end.

"Fucking hell...if we can sense them now that means we're nearly out of time." He swore more under his breath in his mother tongue.

"I'd say...less than an hour...Can't really give a better guess...I know the model of space pod they use...I just don't know how long it takes to drop from hyperspace and below light speed-"

Nappa was making his head ache even more. "Shut the hell up with your damn babbling, moron. We need to catch up with those little human rodents...and force the answers out of them. And get our dragonballs back."

They flew for another half minute. Then they both slowed more. A tall structure in the distance, on a massive spire of rock. Not too far in front...

"Well...looks like they're making a stand." The bald Saiyan forced a smirk.

As it happened Vegeta wasn't in them mood even for that. "Good...at least this won't take long."

One more burst of speed and both Saiyans were practically within arms reach of the human and half-saiyan. "Well then. What luck. Nappa and I have been searching for you for quite some time now. Your little stunt of stealing that dragonball was clever. Though...I'd wager not clever enough. Because you've not only thoroughly pissed me off...but delayed things long enough that the Ginyu force could show up at any minute."

"We...we knew we couldn't trust you with the wish. Immortality isn't something that anyone should have...especially not people like you!" Krillin was terrified. Only not just of Vegeta. More so...it was this new threat.

"Are you that dense? Do you really think I'd want to be immortal just for kicks?" His fist tightened. "My race is about honor...especially in battle. Making a wish, using some flashy, otherwordly bullshit...all to get stronger or to live forever is the epitome of disgrace. However...Frieza is too strong...and he'd never let me live long enough to gain the strength to challenge him...not normally. That was why I needed that wish. To close the gap...and make it so he could never destroy me...that even if I was dealt a terrible defeat...I could come back and repay him a hundred fold."

"You would never understand that life...the desire to break free from someone like him...or his wretched family." His jaw was clenched and his power rising at an erratic rate. "Now we have his elite mercenary unit bearing down on us...even if they aren't as powerful as that rotten lizard, there are five of them. Even if we teamed up, I doubt we could accomplish much. If I'm immortal...then I know that I'll just keep coming back...until I destroy those cretins."

His eyes were wild. It was clear to see that he was struggling to keep a grip on his sanity, along with rational thought.

"What he means is, give us the dragonaballs. Now, or we all die." Nappa interjected.

"Only if there is more than one wish." Gohan surprised them all by saying that. "All I want to do is bring mister Piccolo back...then everyone else can come back too."

Vegeta wasn't buying it. "Why should I listen? Convenient now that you should try to strike a bargain."

"We-"

A blast of wind, as someone shot by caused Gohan's jaw to snap shut. The Namekian looked back to the boy, then to Vegeta. Then he narrowed his eyes. "So you're the one I've heard of. Funny. I was expecting someone far more imposing." Nail glanced to Nappa.

"Well...look what crawled out of the woodwork. A Namekian." The thought amused him. "But I'm afraid that if you're anything like the rest of your kin, you'll find yourself woefully outclassed here. This does not concern you."

"I'm afraid it does." His expression grew harsh and stern. "You want to take the dragonballs from these Earthlings. For immortality. I presume to defeat the one known as Frieza."

It was said so matter of fact that it was irritating. Like it was no big deal. "And what is it to you exactly, slug?"

"You...him. Neither of you deserve to posses those...much less make any wish. If you were half the warrior you believe yourself to be...you'd know true strength comes from within."

Sparks formed around the prince. This was beginning to truly try his patience. "I don't have time for that nonsense. One way or anther I will have my wish, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Nail allowed a cold smirk to form. "Actually...I think there is." For one split second he looked Vegeta dead in the eye. Then he raised his energy. Briefly, but enough that he could tell the prince managed to sense a large portion of it.

Stunned. He couldn't allow anyone to see just how much that bothered him. Nor the twinge of fear it inflicted. "Fool. Have it your way." A haughty laugh escaped his lips. "None of us have any time to waste...we need to get back, to get the dragonballs before-"

Closer now. Judging from how much easier it just got to sense them...that meant that the Ginyu had dropped well below lightspeed...and were likely near Namek's orbit.

"I think I agree with Vegeta. We need to get a move on. Fast...otherwise this'll all have been for nothing." Inwardly Krillin wanted to hit himself for agreeing yet again with such a person. Still, now wasn't the time to be picky in regards to allies."

They took off, faster than Nail expected them to. Now he was mentally berating himself for not telling them sooner. Because now things were going to get a lot more complicated.

* * *

><p>Frieza tapped the button, turning off communications. A smile was rooted to his face. A very pleased one at that. "You." he directed his impassive stare at a lowly soldier.<p>

"Yes...yes, Lord Frieza? Is everything well?" Frieza noted the concern in the eyes of the large reptilian being. It brought him a sense of pleasure knowing that he had subordinates that followed him for more than just fear and a paycheck. The fear was nice too..and he saw plenty. But it wasn't what drove most of his army. Respect played a part, and he prided himself in being at least impartial when dealing with those lesser than himself.

"You might well say that it is. The Ginyu Force will be landing in but a few mere moments. Soon everything will be falling into place." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Now. I do request that you tidy everything up...can't have guests without a proper welcome. See to it that things are in order here as well. Who knows...good things might come if you impress us."

"Right now, I'd like for you to fetch my hover chair. I have guests to greet after all, and it wouldn't be befitting if I were to be tardy." Frieza flashed a malicious grin.

* * *

><p>It had been more than a minute later than expected, but right as he was about to grow annoyed from the excessive wait they were putting him through, five pods entered the atmosphere. Within ten seconds they'd landed less than a hundred yards from his ship, leaving only small circular indentions in the blue plains of Namek.<p>

_'I think I like these newer models' _Mused the emperor. _'Yes. I do in fact. A much more stream lined landing...minimal disturbance to the native flora and fauna...most of all...there potential for stealth.' _His thoughts on invasions and cloak and dagger raids were put to a halt when the pod doors opened up.

They moved blindingly fast to anyone save the tyrant lord. In the span it took the rest of his soldiers to blink they were already standing a few feet from him. Each quickly did a salute, before starting on a bizarrely choreographed set of poses. That ended with the leader sitting in a near crouch, arms spread till they were nearly touching the ground.

"Together we are, the Ginyu Force!" The purple skinned man raised his horned head up. "Proud to be at your service, Lord Frieza."

For a moment silence reigned. Then Frieza gave an awkward chuckle. "Yes...captain. You and your men may stand now."

"Now that we've arrived, shall we...get down to business?" He took one glance to make sure the rest of the team was standing up right. They always had to look dignified after all.

"Indeed. That's one reason why I like you, always straight to the point." His tail swished slightly over the side of the floating chair. "There are these artifacts known as dragonballs. Each is about this big," Frieza held his hands a couple feet apart to indicate properly their size. "There are seven in total...and until some foul ups from my men, I was in possession of five. Vegeta and his insipid general...Nappa...they managed to make off with them. There is also a third party involved...who may or may not be working with those two little monkeys."

Captain Ginyu took the information in. "Do you believe that this other group might have one, or perhaps both of the other balls?" He heard one of his men snicker behind him. He decided to ignore it for the moment.

Frieza paid it with even less mind. "Most certainly. At the least it is possible. You did bring the new model scouters that I'd requested, didn't you?"

"Yes. I did." The leader turned to the giant, blue skinned member. "Burter, the scouters if you will."

In a couple seconds he'd dashed to the pods and returned, presenting a medium sized box to the captain. "Right here, boss. Exactly like Lord Frieza asked for."

"Very nice." Frieza admired the craftsmanship. Along with the more detailed screen. "So these things won't merely explode when exposed to a power they can't handle?" Ginyu nodded. "Excellent. I assume you five are already wearing the updated model. Meaning that it should be no challenge for you to locate the source of my pest problem."

"But of course. We'll have this mess cleaned up lickity split, and you with a nice collection of orbs." Captain Ginyu was a bit curious on the matter of why his boss wanted such artifacts. He and Frieza were always on good terms, so he felt like it wouldn't hurt to ask. Too much. "If I might...what exactly do you need those Dragon Ball things for? What are they supposed to do?"

Ginyu always liked to know every detail about his missions. Frieza definitely could appreciate that quality. "Legend has it...that when all seven are collected...A great beast is summoned forth...to grant whatever wish the heart desires. My species is long lived...though...it is my desire to one day reign supreme over everything the universe has to offer . Even my lifetime wouldn't be enough time. I'm going to use those to wish for immortality. Securing my place the supreme ruler over all creation."

There were...other reasons of course. But this one was true as well, and all the good captain ever needed to know. "Business first though, Ginyu. You know that. I believe you were about get on to it."

A drop of nervous sweat ran down his forehead. "Yes. Of course sir." He pressed a button on his scouter. "Found them. Group of power levels in excess of 15,000...moving at a very rapid rate. Men...check your scouters."

"All right boss." Answered the large blue reptilian. "Looks like they've stopped. Perfect place for an ambush ."

"Right you are, Burter." The Ginyu second in command said in his thick accent. "Alright mates, best be a'moving'...otherwise they might try'n themselves scarce."

"And we couldn't have that."Captain Ginyu turned to the rest. "All right men. Time to move out. On the double!" A purple glow ignited around his body. All the auras of the others flared up, and like that they shot off across the Namekian sky.

After that all that could be heard was the mad laughter of a tyrant.

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><p><strong>Power levels either haven't changed, making posting them redundant, or are too much of a spoiler to do so.<strong>


	23. Only the Strong

_A/N: _Looks like I'm on time. A good thing considering how hectic things remain for me.

Going to give a tentative estimate of around the 30th of August for now.

anonymous: Goku was actually at 90,000 when he came to Namek in base. The 180,000 was him using the Kaioken. I'm doing things a bit differently. Goku's power will still be in the ballpark range as far as numbers go to canon, because it actually feels within reason. Not like the asspull in the manga where he essentially spams zenkais over the course of a week. Going from likely Vegeta level to above all the Ginyu Force sans Captain Ginyu in the process.

It took him over a month to get to Namek, and he had a training partner. The whole idea is to give the sense that he actually earned the power, that it wasn't really just hax writing. Close regarding Yajirobe. He will be somewhere in the range of half of Goku's base power.

All the others who reviewed, I'd like to thank you for your time and for the support.

* * *

><p><em>'Damn it! We're almost out of time!' <em>Vegeta knew they were nearly there. Threats were not even needed. Once the humans got the faintest whiff of the power the Ginyu Force possessed they were quick to cooperate. For once, he found himself pushing back his pride. If only to himself, he felt thankful that they were at least facing them with more than simply he and Nappa.

Of course their chances were...less than stellar. "Well. Now let's only hope you fools didn't waste too much time dicking around."

If they could get the wish, at least then he was confident that they would have a good chance at winning. Nappa was about to place the last one when it happened. A small blast struck, less than ten feet away. So little power, yet the amount of smoke it through out was enough to blanket the entire area.

Thick, dark red smoke. "What in the fuck-"

"Vegeta, please. Be more mindful of the language...you wouldn't want to give my men a bad first impression."

Through the thinning amber haze, he could make out five humanoid shapes. "Quick you idiots, grab the dragonballs and-"

Loud and obnoxious laughter. Then the Captain motioned his men for silence, as he continued chuckling. "Dragonalls? You don't mean these wonderful things, do you?"

Between each of them, they had five in their hands. Yamcha looked around, trying to recover his senses. "Wha-but...how did...we just-" Needless to sat he didn't get far with it.

"Baldy, we can't let them get these...throw it, break it for all I care!" spittle flew from Vegeta's mouth at Krillin. As the human raised his other fist in confused the air shimmered, and the dragonball vanished from sight. Vegeta did a double take. Now it was somehow in the possession of the short, pudgy member of the force.

"Smooth work Guldo." Captain Ginyu gave a quick thumbs up, before taking the ball. "Now then, only one more." He looked to Yamcha, who was still holding on. "I'll give you till the count of two to hand that last one over. Who knows, maybe my men will go easy on you if you cooperate."

For a moment Yamcha appeared to consider the idea. Then he charged his foot with a tiny bit of ki, rapidly transferring the energy below ground. At that point he focused on the energy, willing it to expand violently. While the Ginyu's were scrambling he turned to Vegeta. "Here, catch!"

The prince quickly caught the ball, before promptly tossing it with all his strength over the horizon. "There's your cooperation Ginyu. A personal 'fuck you', from me to you. I don't care how that miserable human managed to do that, but now...you fools will never be able to give those dragonballs to Frieza."

Something seemed off. All four members were laughing. "It'll be real funny what happens to you all when-" Four...one of them was missing. "Wait, where the hell did he-"

In a flash Burter was back before Vegeta could complete his sentence. "Got it boss. Vegeta might have a good arm, but I'm known for my speed."

"Damn you-" He knew that it would be suicide to attack. But he would have despite the fact were it not for Nappa placing a firm grip in his shoulder.

Captain Ginyu snapped his fingers at that moment. A light purple glow surrounded each dragonball. All of them were under his control, each member of the squad allowing the spheres to float gently over to their leader.

"Almost a wrap now. I'll take these back to Lord Frieza, and you all..." a devious and sinister smirk appeared. "Feel free to entertain yourselves...show these gentlemen here a little of that good old Ginyu spirit." His aura ignited around him...dark purple and blue flames racing around his body. "Our lord does appreciate punctuality...so I'll expecting you all back as soon as you finish tidying up this little operation."

He gave a brief salute. Then a brilliant explosion of light that was over the horizon in seconds.

"Well then mates." Jeice cracked his knuckles. "Look's like we got our'selves a bit'of a rumble. None a' you'll be walking outta this...so least I could do is be a proper sportsman 'bout it."

"Should've known it would end up like this." Krillin looked to Gohan then Yamcha. "Been nice knowing you guys."

His fist was clenched tightly. This was not how he imagined things going. Yet he put on a mocking smile. If nothing else, he'd go down with his honor intact. "Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you.

Nappa and I have grown far stronger...and we have a knack for surviving whatever is thrown our way." His eyes flicked to the humans before returning to all four. "And while they might not look like much...these people are quite clever. I've found that they make very troublesome opponents. So you'd best not underestimate us."

"So says the little monkey that could." The big tall one crossed his arms in front of is frame. "Hey Jeice, I think we should give our new friends a good introduction...show'em who we are. Captain always says to do that."

The short red skinned man gave a thumbs up to the idea. "A right fine idea. Give'em a good ol' display of Ginyu Force style."

"Alright, you heard him." Burter directed to Guldo.

In a heavily exaggerated manner they quickly shifted through various poses. Finally settling with Jeice slightly out front leaning slightly to the side, a single fist extended straight into the air. Burter was practically mirroring the pose a couple feet away. Recoome was slightly behind and to the right of Burter, one hand extended in front of his face and the other drawn back as if to go for a jab or punch. Guldo was on the opposite side of Jeice arms crossed over his chest.

"Guldo!"

"Recoome!"

"Burter!"

"Jeice!"

Then as one, "And together we are...the Ginyu Force!"

"...are...these guys really doing this?" Krillin had a drop of sweat dripping down his forehead. Not only from apprehension...but out of sheer bewilderment.

"If they weren't going to kill us I'd say that was almost cool." mumbled Yamcha quietly. Too loud though since Vegeta's head instantly snapped towards him.

"Imbecile...we play this right...and I don't think we'll die." _'Except maybe you'_ His eye was still twitching from the display. "If you clowns are done with your little dance recital, I think it's time to get down to business."

Jeice spat on the ground as he stood up from the pose. Soon the rest joined him, glaring at Vegeta. "I'd be a bit more care with me words if I'was you. Boys here are 'a wee bit sore about having to miss the practice in order to come out here and pay you bunch a thrashing. Best not to rile'em up too much if ya want a clean finish."

Gohan looked to Vegeta. "Shouldn't we be not trying to jump into a fight so fast?"

Yamcha felt the same. They should be stalling instead of egging this on faster. "He's got a point you know."

Instead of responding outright, the Saiyan opted to completely ignore him. "Because you know this is going to happen no matter what...they didn't come here to negotiate or show off their silly little poses...besides...where is your Saiyan spirit? Doesn't the prospect of a battle...even one you will probably lose excite you in the least?"

A few seconds of thinking wasn't enough to give a definite answer. Fighting was thrilling...Gohan had to admit that...even those that put his life on the line might have a small appeal. His biggest fuel though was making sure every one that was close to him would be okay. "A little...look...I don't think I'm quite like you...or my dad even...but I know that to protect my friends I'll have to. I'm not afraid."

Nappa smirked. "That's the spirit. More than I expected out of you...most kids, Saiyan or not would piss themselves just knowing they were on the same planet as these freaks in front of us. We live through this and maybe, maybe I'll try to talk Vegeta into not beating you all senseless."

"That's real comforting-" Krillin started to say. Only for one of the Ginyu Force members to shush him with a hand gesture. They were huddled, obviously very deep in discussion. Soon enough the white haired being, Jeice turned to address the odd band.

"Alrighty. We've figured out how we're gonna do this. Five'a you and four'a' us. Each of us takes takes turns pickin' whoever he wants to fight. Since I we all drew the short straws, our mate Guldo is the first one up."

Vegeta looked at the little frog like creature with cruel sneer. "Well then, about time you buffoons got on with it. Just being this close to you freaks has been making me want to puke...so if I were you I'd choose quick...otherwise I'll step in and decide for you." Of course he wasn't so foolish to do so. All he wanted to do was throw the little frog face off balance a little...see if he could goad him into a direct confrontation.

Guldo tightened his small fist, small wisps of light forming around it. Then he relaxed and only briefly glanced at the Saiyan prince. "Trying to rile me up eh Vegeta? Make a fool out of Guldo, just for old time's sake? Ha!" he snickered. "Not today. I think I'll rely on my powers to choose for me...pick out the weakest link..."

For a moment closed his eyes, humming softly to himself.

"While we got time, mind telling us just a little more about what we're about to get into with these idiots?" Krillin didn't know who the little...thing would pick..but no matter who it was they did not want to go in blind. Because despite his power feeling much weaker than the rest...it had a quality about it that bred uneasiness.

Yamcha nodded. "He said something about powers..and now that I think about it...I don't want to get into this without knowing what he can do."

For a moment he looked over the entire force. "I'll explain this once and only once. I've dealt with these freaks a few times...All of them are probably stronger than I am now. Well...except for Guldo here. "

"Don't let the frog face fool any of you...no matter who fights him...what he lacks in power he more than makes up for in powerful psychokinetic abilities. It's been nearly five years...so I don't know if he's learned any new tricks...but what I do remember is that he can take control of almost anything around him...even one of you...so my first bit of advice is don't stand still."

"He's right you know." Guldo had just opened all four of his eyes. "You can't quite be sure what I can do. As for who I'm fighting...you seem to be the number one pick." With a grin he gestured to Yamcha.

For a moment he hesitated. Then he realized that it was now or never, and doing things this way might buy time for Goku. Which when he thought about it, was probably the same reasoning Vegeta had. The asshole would never admit to it though.

"So this is how it is?" Stepping forward he sized up the alien. Feeling his energy. Familiarizing himself with it. "I still think you got the short draw. I'm not as weak as you might be thinking."

"Heh. Weak you say?" Observing the human get into a fighting posture, Guldo simply balled his fists and held them slightly in front of him like a boxer. "I didn't pick you because of your power...it was a factor...but my abilities let me see more...you are the least skilled...and the most frail mentally."

Anger was welling inside him at the taunts. "Coming from a little bug eyed bastard...I'm not going to let you psyche me out." _'Is it true though...am I really...no...can't let him do this.'_

"Yes...get angry. Prove my point. " _'Charge at me and see for yourself how right I am.' _Was all but written on his smug green face. Yamcha noticed that much. It gave him at least one clue what his opponent was expecting. Which gave him the idea to test out the theory.

His ki flared around him. No point in hiding his power at this point. He moved forward quickly. With a flick of his hand Guldo ripped up a small section of dirt. Had he not kicked back he'd have been hit by it. Which would have been bad, considering there were sharp spikes all over along the top of the formerly flat earth. As the fragments dispersed and began raining back down he shot off a small beam of ki.

Guldo's eyes widened slightly and he jumped to the side. Yamcha noticed that while he struggled to do so, that he'd managed to use his powers to slow down the attack by a miniscule bit. Enough to dodge it safely.

"Aye!" Jeice yelled over to him. Guldo nodded but didn't take his focus away from the fight. "Might want to be a bit more careful mate...blokes sporting a power of just over twenty eight thousand...no more taking it easy on'em."

"A bit higher than I expected...but I've taken stronger beings than you on." A green haze condensed itself on the tips of his fingers. "Try this!" Like an electrostatic charge they shot off. Yamcha avoided five out of the six, only to be tagged in the shoulder. It blasted him back a couple dozen feet. Stung like hell too.

"Like that will be enough to-" his arm didn't seem to be responding to his command. Instead he found his fist clenching, seemingly of its own free will. "Wha-" The human didn't get the chance to get the first word out before his balled up hand stuck him across the face. No damage except a split lip, though that didn't exactly make Yamcha feel any better.

"I knew you would like that one. I call that my Phantom Hand technique...though it can be used on more...I was aiming to hit every point on your body. For now...this will do."

That made him swear under his breath. "Then I got to take you out fast!" he started charging his Spirit Ball...only for the rogue limb to bat it casually into his face. Fortunate for him that he'd barely gotten the chance to put any real power into it.

"Damn it!" Yamcha struggled to think on what to do. Then an idea struck. Crazy. But all he really had. He raised his right arm, then delivered a single swift jab to his left shoulder. All sensation left the limb, and it fell limply to his side.

Moving in fast, he aimed to do as much damage as possible. His opponent seemed surprised at not being able to control the arm, so this seemed like an opportune moment. First he aimed a swift jab, smashing Guldo right in the center of his face. Still no feeling in his left arm, causing him to realize how big of a slip up he made when he tried to throw a punch with it.

"I'm not sure how...but you disrupted my powers...still you seemed to have made one mistake." He tried firing another green bolt of energy. Only Yamcha reacted better, avoiding it entirely. Then the Ginyu balled his fist, slamming it into Yamcha's head with as much force as he could muster.

It didn't do a lot. Enough to tilt his head back slightly. Guldo's strength wasn't so much physical though, and as Yamcha moved swing...he seemed to vanish before the former desert bandit's eyes.

Looking around he quickly spotted him. In time to avoid a pulse of psionic ki. Again he rushed Guldo, only for the frog man to seemingly teleport out of harms way. This time when he reappeared he seemed to be breathing a bit heavier...a small cut opened on Yamcha's cheek. Then something ripped through the fabric of his GI. Rocks. Sharpened, hovering menacingly behind his opponent.

Most troubling was that he had no idea how any of this was happening.

In a flash he zipped forward. Right after he planted a kick Guldo disappeared. Only this time Yamcha felt it. A strange, practically nauseating sensation. Like everything nearly came to a stop around him before accelerating back to normal at an impossibly fast rate. Truly jarring. Yet he wasn't much closer to figuring it out.

His opponent was rubbing the side of his cheek, breathing harder than ever before. When he caught his breath he smirked. "Having some troubles keeping up? Don't worry...that happens to everyone that fight me."

This time the need to study his opponent became more imperative than ever. Yamcha was bound and determined to watch for any irregularities. A move that Tien had taught him came to mind. Only took a second to charge. If he did things right, only a very small bit of energy would be used.

"Here...try to dodge this..." a small point of ki formed at the tip of his index finger. "Dodon Ray!"

He saw it. A deep breath was taken by his opponent, then he vanished. Like clockwork he appeared a few feet away. Breathing as heavily as before.

"He almost got me...could he be...no, that wouldn't be possible...or would it?" Talking to himself actually allowed Guldo to refocus. Whether or not his technique had been deciphered did not matter. It had run it's course since his enemy had obiously noticed it's most glaring weakness.

"I take it you enjoyed my little ability. All I did was manipulate the flow of time around the two of us. By holding my breath. Don't worry...that's not my only trick." A sinister grin appeared on his face.

_'Damn. I think I might want to hurry it up if he can do that...or worse.' _His confidence wasn't really shaken. "How about this then?"

Cupping his hands to the side, he began to focus. Blue energy started swirling around...faster and faster until it was a mini vortex in his palms. "Kamehameha!"

Eyes wide as the blast flew towards him, all Guldo could manage to do was throw up his arm a second before it hit. Then a tremendous and deafening sound as the blast detonated. Through all of that the human decided that keeping up his guard was a good idea.

Smoke still billowing around, he turned his head at the sound of another. One of the other Ginyu goons. White hair.

"Ya doin' alright in there? Mighty big blast...clocked in near forty thousand...might've dusted Recoome up a bit even." He smirked at the human viciously. "I wouldn't be gettin' all comfortable if I were you...o'l Gurd is made of tougher stuff than that."

Guldo coughed, trying to avoid breathing in any more smoke. He waved a single hand to try and disperse the remainder. There was a shimmer as the shield he'd made dispersed. "Thanks for the concern." Hopefully the sarcasm would piss Jeice off.

"Of course, got to be lookin' out for you all when the Capt'n isn't 'round."

Or not. Jeice could be dense as hell at times. Didn't matter. His focus was back to the worm in front of him. "Well. I think it's time you learned why many in the universe fear me."

Yamcha figured that he'd seen the best that his adversary could do. That those words were a bluff. "It it because of you're ugly face, or that terrible breath?" He still wouldn't drop his guard. And while both of his own statements were true, he'd only said them to try to throw off Guldo. Get him to make the first real mistake of the fight.

Things almost seemed that way. Veins appeared all over his head, which started to turn a shade of greenish red. Making him almost look like a sickly tomato. Then Guldo cracked a toothy smirk. "You mock me? Many have mocked...yet in the end they always see. Now...it's your turn!"

Bright lightening like ki shot from his hands. So fast that Yamcha couldn't move to avoid it. Those strands wrapped around him, leaving his body enveloped in a green glow. "Sh-" Before he could get the swear out Guldo waved his had to the side, sending Yamcha hurtling down towards a small plateau. Right before impact he jerked the same hand up. The force of the sudden stop nearly made the desert dweller throw up. A terrible sense of vertigo, combined with the fact that it felt like his body wanted to split in half was almost too much for him.

He tried moving, managing only a small jerk to the side before he was flung again. Much harder this time, with his form coming to rest embedded several feet into the dirt. Kicking into the air, he fired a blast that was deflected. While Guldo was distracted he began charging a yellow orb in his right hand and another in his left.

His actions were noticed, with the result being a massive increase on the forces binding his body in place. Enough to cause him to drop the glowing balls of ki. Yet through it he maintained his focus, keeping enough concentration to push them into the earth.

"I don't think so. This has been a fun little game but...it ends here!" Frustration was written all over him. "You tried so hard...for so little. Sad."

Guldo pulled forth a tree. Taking great care the little alien shredded it down, till it formed a large spear over two meters long. Tip sharp and hardened like diamond.

Unknowingly he'd allowed the bands of energy holding his victim in place to slacken ever so slightly. To the point that Yamcha was able to move one of his hands freely. _'Never really tried controlling two of these things at once...but here goes!'_

Flicking his wrist and fingers, Yamcha made a dozen rapid gestures in the time it took to blink. "Sad for you!" The first sailed up and caught him in the gut. As he was doubled over and gagging the second and more powerful of the two slammed into his face with enough force to wipe out a major city.

Free. Yamcha wasted none of his precious time, blasting the smoke away with his aura. As he thought there was a pretty big crater. At the center of it was the green creature. Alive, and still somehow standing. Armor was chipped and burnt, large patches of scorched skin and jumpsuit showing.

Two of his four eyes were swollen shut, with a thin line of blood dripping from one. Yamcha jumped to the side when he extended his hand. Only for nothing.

"I'll be damned...you...you...somehow beat me...maybe not so weak after all."

Didn't mean the desert fighter was willing to take chances. Moving too fast to be seen by the Ginyu he rushed in, slamming both hands into the back of his skull. Wouldn't kill him, though he'd have quite sometime before he woke up.

"Talk about a surprise. You actually managed to win." Vegeta sneered at him. If he were truthful he'd say he was genuinely impressed. Then again, he wasn't known for being so forthcoming. "Still, don't let that get to your head. I'd have taken that little fool out in a single strike, not flailing aimlessly."

Krillin and Gohan landed next them. Stepping towards the pair, Krillin quickly held up his hand. "Don't start Vegeta, this isn't the time." A little bit of sweat dripped down his face when the Saiyan prince hardly acknowledged his presence.

Then something diverted all of their attention. A low clapping sound.

From Jeice. He had a scowl on his face. Clearly he wasn't pleased at all. "Got to say, looks like ya did a real number on'em. Didn't think he'd lose to some freak like you, but things like that just happen...by the way that played out I'd say you folks'll have to deal with Burter-"

"No." A loud thump. The big muscle bound Ginyu, with the red shock of hair practically leaped forward. "Guldo is a pretty good pal of mine. So I'd like to go next, give those guys payback...Recoome style."

Jeice shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter much to me...Burter, that alright with you mate?"

"Eh...sure...why not. We got a while longer to play with them." His snakelike eyes were focused on the group. For some reason Krillin felt like he was the main target.

"Alright then." He pointed right at the prince. "Vegeta...I think you're time has come. The name is Recoome...and it rhymes with doom!" Both arms shot up, as he assumed an otherwise identical pose to earlier.

Vegeta simply ground his teeth together. This wasn't going to be easy. '

"And now...I'm coming for you!" Recoome lowered both arms. Then he shot towards Vegeta at a blindingly fast speed.

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><p><strong>Power Levels:<br>**

Yamcha: 28,125

Guldo: 25,000

Everyone else is the same or a spoiler. Next up is Vegeta vs. Recoome. And I do plan on adding at least one little twist to that fight.


End file.
